Dream of a Future
by Zig298
Summary: Serge discovers his fate is not yet at rest and sets off on a journey seeking answers as an ancient power gathers for its final assault on the creatures that have plagued it for thousands of years... Reviews would be greatly appreciated.
1. A Memory from the Past

Chrono Cross:

Dreams of a Future

By Jon Zeigler

Based on characters from 

Chrono Cross & Chrono Trigger

Prologue

****

Stirrings from the Past

Program: "Memories of FATE."

Data location acknowledged. Searching…

Program discovered. Destination?

Shelled memory of FATE

…Destination discovered. Locking on. Target acquired near Dead Sea, Home World.

Run program, "Memories of FATE"?

Run program affirmative. Running program… Target accepted program.

Destroy program records? Negative. Contact with 'arbiter' made. Destruction of records imminent…

Chapter 1

****

A Memory from the Past

"Serge? Are you feeling all right? You're acting a little strangely," Leena observed.

Serge had sat down on the beach, his body still going through the motions of having just awakened from unconsciousness. He had just asked Leena about Terra Tower, the dragon god, and the whole adventure that he had just experienced. Leena didn't have a clue what he was talking about and Serge let the matter drop.

__

Schala was right. Nobody knows that anything happened and that their world was almost completely destroyed. Schala…Kid…where are you?

"Serge, our summer has just started, let's not start it out with an awkward moment," Leena continued.

Serge nodded his head absentmindedly. He wasn't really paying that close attention. His mind was on his journey, his meeting Kid, finding out the truth about the grand scheme of things, and him saving Schala from the Devourer of Time. He was the assassin of time, the Chrono Trigger. He was the being that traveled across the dimensions to save all of time and the universe.

"Thanks for the Komodo Dragon scales by the way," Leena said. "They'll make a beautiful necklace."

Serge answered with a sideways smile, gazing out over the ocean. In the instant before his body returned to the beach, he had seen an image of Kid wearing a white dress, standing on the very beach he was now sitting on. She had turned, looking at him, her eyes peering into his very soul. Serge now imagined that he could still see her, looking out over the water.

"Well, I still know that you had to go to some trouble to get these and I thank you for that," Leena noticed that Serge hadn't been looking at her. "Are you sure you're all right? I still think you're acting a little strange."

Serge let out a little laugh and turned to her for a second, giving a reassuring smile. He figured that if she knew what he was thinking, she would think he was insane.

Leena was about to start talking again but paused, thinking of the right thing to continue with. Her next thought never fully developed since a little boy came running up behind the two teens sitting on the beach.

"Leena!" the boy cried joyfully.

Leena turned to look at him as he came to a stop in front of her. Serge didn't turn and look, he was still lost in thought.

"Leena! I've been looking all over for you!" the boy told her.

Leena put a hand on her hip, "Well, I don't know what so important that you have to run all the way out here to this beach to tell me. It's dangerous out this far and you shouldn't have come alone."

"I didn't come out here alone. Everyone came along to look for you, you just disappeared," the boy answered cheerfully. To fit the boy's words, more children began to run out onto the beach from where the boy had come from as well.

"Oh," Leena said absentmindedly. "Ok then. I'm sorry I just took off without telling you. Tell you what, to make it up to you, lets go back to Arni and swim around the docks a little bit."

A shout of 'yay' came up from all the children as they turned back in the direction they had came from. "Leena's taking us swimming!"

Leena watched them go before turning back to Serge. "I'm sorry Serge, but it looks like I have to go for a little bit. Thanks again for the Komodo Dragon scales, I'll make a necklace right away."

Serge looked up at her for a moment and gave a polite wave goodbye, then turned back toward the ocean. 

"Serge, I think you should get some sleep, you look a little pale," Leena told him before she walked off in the direction the children had taken.

Serge heard her footsteps on the sand whither away as Leena disappeared from sight. His mind was racing with thoughts, one after the other pouring through his head like it was a giant filter. Problem was, he couldn't organize any of them into any sort of order and questions plagued his mind as he continued staring out over the calm blue water.

"General Viper!" 

"What is it?"

"Your presence is required in your office immediately!"

General Viper turned away from the balcony where he had been gazing out into the sea. The serene waters were calm, the sunlight reflecting off their surface as the waves passed by.

"Why is that?" he asked slowly, a little annoyed by the interruption.

"Hard to explain with words, sir," the soldier replied, saluting the general as he turned around. "Best you'd come and see it with your own eyes, sir."

"Very well," the general put his back to the sea and headed for the door leading back into the keep. "This had better be good…" he sighed under his breath.

He walked through the archway and proceeded down the stairs, following the soldier ahead of him. The soldier stopped at the door to his office and once again saluted him. The general couldn't help but notice the excitement in the soldier's eyes.

Viper nodded to him as he passed him by, opening the door and crossing the threshold. His eyes lit up instantly as he stared in wonder as what was hovering over his desk.

Its crimson color gave off a fire-like light and the very room was lit by its presence. It reminded Viper of a balled up glowing crab.

"How in the…? Could it be…?" the general whispered in awe. 

A gentle wind blew across the tops of the trees of the forest, causing the leaves to swirl and dance in the air. The overall peace of the forest was undisturbed, save for a single figure walking quietly along a beaten path in the earth.

The woman's feet landed upon the roots of trees and stirred up twigs as she walked on. She had come here with a destination in mind and her goal was not far away. She didn't know exactly what would happen when she got there, but she was sure it would be a bit awkward at first.

She wondered what he would say, when he saw her standing in front of him. She wasn't supposed to be here, it had been a mistake. But, really, it was his fault in the first place for her being here. It had taken her a little while to realize it, but the blame for her being at this point could be laid on his shoulders. If he hadn't been alive, she wouldn't be here, but that would change things completely anyway.

Her dagger hung in its sheath, its cold, clean blade giving no indication to the adventures she had been on. She couldn't count how many times that dagger had saved her life, but did know how many times it had almost ended it.

Unknowingly, the woman had brought a hand to her neck to feel the pendent hanging there as she walked through the forest, coming closer to her destination. That pendent had also saved her numerous times and she couldn't help but wonder how many more times it would save her before it could finally be laid to rest. Its intricate design held extraordinary powers that even she didn't understand completely, but she knew basically how it worked. The person she was going to see also knew how it worked.

She lowered her hand from the pendent, seeing a break in the forest ahead of her. She knew what awaited her directly on the other side, her destination. Her hope at finally reaching the end of her journey caused her to become unaware of the figure following closely behind in the shadows of the trees.

A sword was clutched tightly in the figure's hand, its glowing exterior radiating purple and black simultaneously. The figure's black garments moved silently as the figure stalked the woman ahead of him, his instincts taking him quickly toward his prey.

The woman quickened her pace, still not aware of her predator behind her. She only wanted to be free of the forest and back into the sunlight.

The man also quickened his pace, continuously gaining ground on the unsuspecting woman. The forest became silent with his passing, as if his very presence could cause death itself.

The woman was near the edge of the forest when he attacked, swiftly and silently from behind. It was not completely by surprise, however. In the instant before she was attacked, the woman sensed another presence besides her own and turned to see what it was.

A look of surprise and fear crossed over her eyes in the instant before the glowing sword sank into her body and she let out a gasp of pain. Blood began to pour freely from the wound as the silent assassin drew the sword back, preparing another strike.

The woman sank to the ground, feeling a strange sensation not only in her body as the severity of the wound spread throughout, but also in her mind, as if some part of it had been plagued. Her eyes wavered as she tried again to look at her assailant who stood over her, poised to strike. In the farthest corner of her mind, before the sword began its motion downward, already crimson with her blood, she realized who the attacker was. Then her body lost its remaining strength and she crumpled completely. Just before her eyesight gave out, she was aware of a tingling sensation near her chest, then a blinding flash of light lit up the surrounding forest…

"Serge! Come over here! Quickly!" Leena shouted.

Serge had just returned from Opassa Beach, taking his time walking through lizard rock, not wanting to get mixed up with any encounters with Beach Bums. The last thing he wanted to do was to get caught up in any quarrels that would only further stress his mind.

Serge silently obeyed Leena's loud order and ran over to her. She was standing near the entrance of his house, where a small group of villagers had already gathered. Through the press of faces, Serge could see his mother standing on his front porch, peering inside at something.

He came to halt in front of Leena and gave her a questioning glance, starting to realize that something was amiss. "Something strange has happened in hour or so that we were away," Leena told him.

Serge couldn't help but think of the irony that he had probably been away for several days, if not weeks.

"While we were gone, your mother found somebody in your house. She said she knows you and was dressed in strange red garb, like a pirate or something. Before…" Leena was about to continue, but Serge had already started toward his house, pressing through the people in front of him.

"Wait! Serge! Stop for a second would you!" Leena cried behind him as she began to follow.

Serge's mind raced as he ran up the steps to his house. Could it be? Could it be that somehow Kid and Schala hadn't became one again? He didn't know how, but his mind had begun racing as soon as he heard Leena describe the stranger had red garb.

His mother attempted to talk to him, but he ran past barely even noticing her, his excitement outweighing anything. He almost tripped over his cat while his mother and Leena still called to him from beyond the doorway. Serge ran through his house into his bedroom, seeing nobody in the main part of his house.

His feet stopped instantly, his brain trying to comprehend the image his eyes drew for him. The village elder, Radius was stooped over the body of a girl, lying unconscious on his bed. Her long braid of blond hair was strewn across the pillow and a pained look crossed over the face that bore a white mark on each cheek. 

Serge took a step back as Radius looked up at him, his eyes searching over Serge for a sign of what he was feeling. Serge took another step backward, slipping past the doorway. His eyes fell again to where the girl lay, oblivious to what was going on.

Radius stood up, walking toward Serge with a sad expression on his face. Serge looked back at him with a pleading expression on his face. 

"I'm sorry Serge, but I need more time with her," Radius told him gently, taking hold of the handle of the door. "Please be patient."

Serge took a final step back as the door closed in front of him and Leena and his Mother came running in.

"Her condition is one that I've never seen before. She has a wound on her body that doesn't seem as if it should be fatal, yet her life energy is slowing withering away. The strangest part is, I can detect no poison of any sorts in her body. I can only conclude that the weapon which injured her had some sort of power in it capable of doing such damage," Radius explained.

He was seated at the table in Serge's house. Serge, Leena and Marge were gathered as well and it was now nighttime. The group had waited while Radius performed many tricks of medicine that he thought would help heal the wounded stranger.

"Alas," Radius continued. "I fear I don't have the power to save her. I'm not even sure if anyone does."

"We still don't even know who this person is though," Leena stated, her cheerful exterior dimmed by the sudden turn of events.

"It's like I said before. There was just a flash of light and there she was, lying in Serge's bed. She told me that she knew Serge but failed to tell me her name before her strength gave out," Marge explained, relating the events that had happened to her earlier in the day.

"And from what Serge has told us, he isn't quite sure who she is either. Right Serge?" Leena gazed over at Serge, who answered her with a quick shake of his head. He was thankful that Radius hadn't looked at him, or he might have seen the nervous look in Serge's eye as he nodded.

Serge had debated whether or not to tell his friends that he knew Kid, but that would also require him to tell his story about his recent adventure and he still doubted they would accept that tail. Even though they had all taken part in it, they each had no recollection of what had happened. Serge had begun to wonder why he still had memory of his part in uniting time. From what he could tell though, Kid might also still have memory of what they had done.

"Now we need to decide how to help her," said Leena. "I mean, we can't very well leave her in this condition until she passes away."

"I agree with you, however, I can think of nothing that could aid in the healing of this young woman. If there is something that can help her, if no doubt contains more power than I possess," Radius set his staff before him on the table.

Serge sat silently, contemplating the information that was being presented to him. His mind raced even now. There were so many things he wanted to ask Kid. How did she get here? Who wounded her? Why was she even a part of this world?

"The hour is becoming late and I fear the more we dwell on this issue will be in vain. Perhaps we should adjourn until mourning, so we will have a fresh start," Radius suggested.

"You're right. Hopefully the girl will improve through the night as well," Marge suggested hopefully.

"We can only hope," Leena sighed. She arose from her seat and stretched her arms. "Serge, try to sleep peacefully tonight. In the mourning we will straighten all of this out," she told him. Leena regarded him one last time before heading through the front door and into the darkness beyond.

"I had better walk her home," whispered Marge. "After all, it's dark and the day has been stressful." She disappeared through the doorway after Leena.

A silence settled over the inside of the house as Radius and Serge sat by the table, each thinking about the situation front different views. Serge still remained quiet when Radius turned toward him, his old, firm eyes looking him over.

"Serge," he spoke gently, but with a serious tone. "I don't know what happened here today, nor could I possibly understand the reason for why it happened with the information we currently have. I have never seen this woman before in my life, but for some reason, when I look into her face, I feel like I know her. The same goes for you as well."

Serge looked up, starting to realize what the old man was hinting at.

"I know it sounds strange, because I've known you since you were a young child. However, now when I gaze at your face, I feel as though I've experienced something with you that I can't put into words. I can't explain why, but I feel as though we should do everything in our power to help this young woman. I feel as though if we were to lose her, we would lose you as well and I can't allow that to happen."

Serge nodded his head absent-mindedly, thinking that maybe in the back of everybody's mind that he had traveled with in his adventure, they maintained a little memory of their journey.

"There is an item Serge," Radius continued. "A legend that it supposed to have unlimited power. I don't even know if it exists. However, shortly before I left the 4 devas, under the command of General Viper, he had begun to search for this rumored object. I was told that he had perhaps found its location, nearby in El Nido. I didn't even believe in the silly tale until Viper himself sought it. I speak of an object known as the Frozen Flame. It is rumored to have the power to grant wishes to its user, giving them anything they ask for. I am uncertain of how accurate this information is, but if there is a chance to save this woman, I feel it lies in this legendary object."

Serge took on what Radius was telling him with a solemn look on his face. He knew what the Frozen Flame could do, and what it had done. He also knew that it might not pose as much of a threat than before, for FATE was eliminated, along with the Dragon Gods. He also knew that it should not exist in the world, that it should not have awakened yet. Serge couldn't tell if he should place his hopes on the object that had nearly destroyed Kid when she had been absorbed into it during their adventure.

"I know this is a lot of information to take in, but I have a sinking feeling that if we wait too long, this young woman will surely die. Serge, I ask you this now while your mother is not present. I wouldn't want her to hear this. Serge, if you make the decision, I will travel with you in search of the Frozen Flame," Radius said, his tone of seriousness evident upon his face.

Serge thought about it quietly, knowing what his answer would be, but just trying to think of what it would mean to him and more importantly, his mother. Outside, he could again hear the feet of his mother as she returned from walking Leena home. Just before she crossed the threshold of the doorway, Serge nodded his head to Radius.


	2. An Encounter in the Woods

Chapter 2

****

An Encounter in the Woods

"It has been awhile since I have stood in Termina, makes me think of my younger years. Ho ho ho," Radius chuckled. He glanced over to Serge, who was holding the limp form of Kid in his arms.

"Now is not the time for rejoicing however. Come, we must find a bed for her to rest. Afterward, we will travel to Viper Manor to find out what we can about the Frozen Flame. Here Serge, this inn looks good," Radius pointed Serge toward a inn near the entrance of the city.

The two had departed Arni village early the next morning with Serge carrying Kid. Radius had explained the situation to Serge's mother late at night and he then continued to inform the other elders of his departure. Leena was still asleep when they left and had no idea of their plan to try to help the stranger who had appeared in their village. Marge volunteered to sooth her when she found out about the news. 

The two had traveled north, passing through Fossil Valley as quickly as possible, though it was troublesome with the rocky terrain and the limp form of Kid burdening them. The day's journey had finally led them to the entrance of Termina just before nightfall and the two had agreed to set out again early in the mourning.

Radius made the arrangements at the inn and prepared to bed down. Serge placed Kid on the bed next to him and decided to go out for a short walk before going to sleep.

The cool night air off the ocean blew through Termina, rustling Serge's hair as he walked along the streets. His mind drowned him with thoughts. When he had first seen Kid lying in his bed, he had felt overwhelming joy, which was quickly overshadowed by his concern for her. Now he was traveling with her in search of a cure, a legend that Serge still had his doubts about if they found it. He also wondered how Leena was doing. How she had taken the news when she discovered he had left without telling her. 

Serge passed down a familiar street, even though he had never set foot in Termina before. He still couldn't help but think of the irony that he himself created. He had already encountered most of the people in Termina, but if he was to ask, they wouldn't be able to identify him at all. He being in existence and by him uniting time had altered all of their lives in some way. Now he was just another stranger that walked through the streets…

His thoughts were stopped when he saw a familiar tent to his left. He didn't realize it, but he had walked to the bridge spanning over the river and now stood near the fortune telling tent that he had visited in the 'past'.

Figuring that it would not longer be of any harm, Serge approached the tent with the two eyes peering out at him. Before he reached it a cloud of smoke appeared and he saw a form materialize from within the smoke. Serge stopped and waited for the smoke to clear away.

"Aaaahhhhh…" came a sigh. "Would you like me to read your fortune for you?" the little woman asked.

Serge nodded his head, indicating what he was thinking.

"Excellent," the woman said, walking up to gaze at Serge. "Hmmm…Interesting. You have played a role of extreme importance, perhaps, even more than you know. But for some reason, that's all I can see. No, wait, your role in this puzzle is not over… Just maybe your own existence will be needed for something much more important. However, I cannot see what this is, but I do sense malice in it. Danger lies ahead of you, be careful."

As quick as she had appeared, the little figure of the woman disappeared, leaving Serge standing by himself in the empty street once again. The cold air blowing in the off the ocean snapped Serge back into the present since he had been lost in thought at what the fortune teller had told him.

Slowly, he headed back for the inn.

"Okay Serge, we need to get going early today so we can arrive at Viper Manor in good time," Radius told him. Serge began to gather his things for their trip. The brim of the sun could be seen from the window of their room and Serge was having difficulty finding his things in the low light.

They had placed Kid in the extra bed in the room. She continued to sleep, showing no signs of recovery or struggle. Her face had turned pale and wound was now a purplish red. Serge feared for Kid's safety more than anything at the moment.

Radius put a hand on Serge's shoulder, and it was only then that Serge realized that he had stopped what he was doing and was looking down at Kid.

"Serge, she will be okay. Once we get her to Viper Manor, everything will be alright," he comforted.

Serge turned silently to look at Radius, then nodded. The two then set off from Termina with their life burden, navigating the path to Viper Manor.

They made good time in the first hour of their journey, with Radius setting a fast pace for Serge to keep up with. The dirt path to the Manor lay open, carved by the thousands of feet of soldiers that had walked along it to defend the islands of El Nido.

The forest around them echoed with life, taking no heed of the two somber travelers progressing through it with their zombie burden.

Serge was walking silently behind Radius with Kid in his arms when he began to hear a rustling in the bushes next to them. Reacting quickly, Serge gently placed Kid on the ground and started looking around. The forest around them had suddenly turned menacing, the shadows playing tricks on their eyes.

Radius was already searching the surroundings with his eyes, his old body looking alert. The staff clutched in his hand hovered in the air menacingly. He might be old, but his mind and spirit still had that of a fierce warrior and if an enemy had seen him in his present state, they would be reluctant to engage him.

Serge gazed around him, they were now standing in a grove of trees which towered over them like flowers to the ant. He realized that they must be near the manor. The air was silent now, and the rustling had stopped.

"We know you are there, please come out and show yourself, we mean you no harm," Radius said loudly, peering around him without moving.

Serge's swallow was clutched tightly in his hand when the bushes again began to move. Suddenly they burst apart and a human body came tumbling through and landed on the ground with a thud.

Serge and Radius both jumped back quickly, weapons raised for defense.

"Wait, wait! It's me!" the person cried loudly.

Radius moved in for inspection. "Leena?" he asked quietly.

Leena climbed to her feet, dusting herself off. Her clothes were dirty and torn. The usual smile on her face was nowhere to be seen. Instead, it was replaced by tears streaming down her face. Her breathing was coming in rasping gasps and her hair was strewn in all directions.

"What in the name of a dragoon happened?" Radius asked quickly, moving towards Leena to take her arm in his hand to stop it from shaking. Sweat beaded on Leena's forehead as she sobbed uncontrollably and struggled to compose herself.

"Leena," Radius started again, "take time to catch your breath. Here," he motioned toward a flat rock jutting from the ground, "have a seat."

Leena sat down to where he had indicated, her breathing starting to level out. Serge had meanwhile searched the area in which Leena had come from to make sure she wasn't being followed, then quickly turned back to her with a look of alarm on his face. 

"It was horrible," Leena whispered, looking up at Radius with a look of despair in her eyes.

"What was?" he replied, more alarmed then ever by the way she had spoken.

"The village…" gasped Leena, starting to shake again.

"What? What about the village?" Radius asked quickly, his brow knitted in alarm. He sat down beside Leena, and placed his arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

She sobbed again, leaning against him for support as if she had no strength left in her body. "The village is destroyed!" she suddenly shouted.

Both Serge and Radius took a large intake of breath, minds trying to comprehend what she was saying. Surely she was mistaken.

"What? How?" pressed Radius, not wanting to believe what she had just told him.

"A monster…" came the reply. "I ran here as fast as I could…"

"How could this be…?" Radius mumbled in disbelief, looking at Serge with a deep concern in his eyes.

"You'll do something won't you?" Leena suddenly asked, grabbing Radius around the neck. Her eyes still wet with tears, she stared at him. "You'll do something won't you?" she repeated, becoming delirious.

"Hush Leena, you've had a long journey. Try to calm down," Radius soothed. "Serge," he ordered, "find a place for her to rest, she is exhausted."

Serge nodded and began to clear a spot on the ground for his friend.

"Tell me you'll do something!" screamed Leena, now clutching to Radius for support once again.

"We will. I promise we will," Radius took Leena by her shoulders and guided her to the spot Serge had created. "Rest now child, we will talk when you are more yourself."

Leena passed out almost as soon as she hit the ground, her body giving in to its last ounce of strength.

Serge and Radius exchanged worried looks as they began to set up camp.

Hours passed, with Serge and Radius standing guard over two unconscious bodies now. Kid showed no signs of recovery, as if a sleep as peaceful as death had overcome her. Leena was the exact opposite, tossing and turning in her sleep, even crying out on some occasions.

Serge felt helpless toward her, there was nothing he could do. He had meant to wake her up a few times, to tell her she was just having a nightmare, but Radius had stopped him, assuring him she would be better if she had her rest, no matter how painful it was.

"Serge," Radius now said, sitting opposite from him in the clearing they had created. "I do not know if the words that Leena spoke were true when she first came upon us. She seemed delirious, but there was something I sensed in her voice that made fear creep into my heart. If what she told us is true…" he paused, searching words. He then lowered his head putting a hand on it, and for a moment, he looked the like the frail old man that he really was, not the warrior Serge was used to.

Serge could see that the old man was struggling, and he didn't blame him for it. Radius was the leader of their village, and its protector. When he and Radius had left, they left the village open and defenseless. The burden upon Radius to make the decision must have been difficult, and Serge could only imagine what was going through the old man's mind right now.

"It is true…the village is destroyed."

Serge whirled around, unaware that Leena had stopped her dreamy throws and was now standing behind him. Radius also looked up quickly, bringing his body back up to composure. 

"Leena, thank goodness you are well," he began. "Although if what you say is for real, then I can take only little comfort in it."

Leena nodded slowly and moved to sit down beside Serge. Her hair was is even more disarray and the clothes she wore were now stained with dirt as well. Her face still carried a heavy sign of grief, but the tears had halted.

"Leena, I know it will be hard, but you must tell us what happened," Radius leaned forward, gazing into Leena's face, searching it for clues.

Leena nodded slowly, reaching down to take a hold of Serge's hand. "It was horrible…" she trailed off, taking a deep breath. "After you two had left the village, I wanted to be alone for a little while, so I went to Cape Howl. After staring out the ocean for a time, I realized it was getting to be late in the morning and I knew my mother had chores for me to do. When I neared the village, I started to hear screams. I became frightened and started to race back as fast as I could. But when I reached Arni…" Leena stopped, placing her free hand over her eyes as images came reeling back to her.

Radius and Serge had been listening intently and both waited for her pain to pass so she could continue her story.

Leena lowered her head, tears forming in her eyes anew. "…I saw monsters," she explained. "They were slaughtering everyone. Bodies were already lying in the center when I arrived. They set fire to the houses…" she paused again, the tears finding their way down her cheeks. "I saw them kill my mother on the steps of our house. She screamed…" she paused again. "One of them noticed me in the entrance and approached me. I was angry, it was the one who had killed my mother. I tried to fight with it, to stop it from massacring my home, but…" she broke down, crying into Serge's shoulder, squeezing his hand as hard as she could.

"Leena, you did everything you could…" Radius began, himself at a loss for words.

"No!" she yelled. "I did nothing! It was too strong! I ran, just to save myself! I left everyone behind!"

Radius and Serge exchanged glances, worry and fear in both faces. Serge didn't quite know how to feel, his home was destroyed, his mother probably dead. Sorrow was the only thing he could feel.

"Leena," Radius said slowly. "What did these monsters look like?" he was trying to maintain his composure after the story she had told them.

Leena's sudden anger to herself had caused her to sit back up. "I had never seen them before, they were like walking lizards. They were taller than humans and used heavy weapons. When I tried to hit one with an element, it dodged it and almost overtook me with a quick strike. I ran, and for some reason, it let me go. I…I was so scared."

"Don't be angry with yourself, there was nothing you could do," Radius soothed, trying to comfort her. His face had fallen, but he still maintained his presence.

"I just wanted to get away. After that, I thought of you two and tried to reach you as quickly as I could," Leena explained, starting to calm down a bit.

"I see…" Radius answered.

"I know you are in search of the Frozen Flame," Leena started suddenly. "That is supposed to grant people's hopes and dreams right?" she looked to Serge, then Radius.

Radius returned her gaze, his eyes trying not to show what he was thinking inside.

"I mean, couldn't we use that to bring Arni village back?" she asked, desperate.

"Legends speak of the Flame as a source of great power. I suppose it might just be possible…" Radius started.

"Well we have to try," Leena told him. "We have to at least try, for everyone in the village."

"Yes, of course we do," Radius answered. "Leena, are you well enough to walk?"

She looked herself over, nodding. "Yes. That rest was all I needed. Now that I found you, I'll be fine."

"Then we've no time to waste," explained Radius. "The situation has grown more serious than we thought. Now the fate of our very village hangs in the balance, and we must do everything we can to save it. So let us press on without delay." He arose from where he was sitting, not waiting for the other two to respond.

Serge and Leena both exchanged worried glances before moving to follow him. Serge went about preparing Kid's body for the trip, and Leena helped to pack up the quick encampment they had set up for her. Within minutes they continued on their journey to Viper Manor.


	3. The Cogs Turn

Chapter 3

****

The Cogs Turn…

Radius motioned for Serge and Leena to follow closely behind him. They had finally reached the entrance to Viper Manor, and were now standing outside the main gate. 

The two guards at the gate were eyeing them curiously. Serge was still carrying Kid in his arms, as she was the most interest to the guards at the moment. One of the guards was taller than the other, his height making the other look puny.

Radius approached them with a sense of dignity.

"Who are you?" barked one of the guards roughly.

"A man who used to be well known around here," replied Radius slowly. "I can only hope that I still am."

"Is that so?" questioned the other guard. "Then who the hell are you then?"

"Radius of Arni Village. Honored dragoon and once a member of the 4 Divas. Retired of course," Radius answered.

The eyes of both soldiers widened as they now understood who they were looking at. Their attitudes changed immediately, now trying to lose their rough acts.

"Sir Radius. This visit is most unexpected. I'm sure the General will be most pleased about your visit," one said.

"Thank you," Radius returned. "I wonder if we might be allowed in now?"

"Certainly sir. However, I must inquire as to who these people are before they are allowed to enter," explained one of the two men.

"Yes of course. This woman is Leena of Arni Village, a caring young woman and excellent babysitter. This solid young man is Serge of Arni Village, a kindhearted lad who helps Leena in her activities." Radius explained both of them as the soldiers listened.

"And the other?" the taller one asked.

"We are trying to reveal that very information ourselves, for she was found outside out village with a severe wound that is beyond our power to heal. We have come in search of General Viper's assistance in helping to save her," Radius replied coolly. 

"I see," said the shorter guard. "Very well then, please proceed through the gate. General Viper will be in his office on the second floor."

"Thank you," Radius repeated.

The taller guard began checking his key ring, finally stopping on a key that was larger than the others. He walked to the gate and inserted it into the hole. The gate's latch flipped back, and the massive bars creaked as it swung open, revealing the path to group before it.

Radius led the way as the three proceeded up the manor steps and through the main doors.

Serge breathed a secret sigh of relief as he looked up the next flight of steps and saw that the next set of double doors were already opened for them. He would never forget the nasty fall he had taken when the trapdoor went off when he had first inputted the code wrong. The snake statue regarded them coldly as they walked past it and into the pillar hallway.

Radius stopped into the middle of the room and looked upward, his gaze stopping when he saw the movable platform already raised to the last floor.

"How are we supposed to get up there?" Leena asked from behind him.

"Don't worry, there's a trick to it," muttered Radius. "Although I can't remember exactly which one…" he started looking from pillar to pillar, trying to decide on one.

While he was looking, Serge had meanwhile walked to the second pillar from the back left of the room. Still holding Kid in his arms, he reached around and touched a hidden switch with one of his hands.

There was creaking sound as the movable platform descended down to their level while Serge rejoined Radius and Leena. Radius was peering at Serge curiously, pondering something.

The platform touched down on the floor and Leena began moving towards it, with Serge and Radius following.

"I'm not even going to ask how you knew where that was," Radius told Serge while he flipped the switch on the chair to get it to move back up. Serge didn't reply, he was looking down at Kid in his arms. She had worsened it seemed, her face starting to twist in a look of pain and the color of her skin was far from its normal shade.

"Serge, she's going to be ok," confirmed Radius. "Quickly, General Viper should be just ahead." He led them up another flight of stairs and proceeded to the door that lay just ahead of him.

"This is Viper's own office, so please, be of respect," Radius admonished before pushing the door open.

Serge saw a red light around the edge of the door as Radius pushed it open, followed by a gasp from the old man. He opened the door wide, but stood in the doorway as if stunned. Serge couldn't quite see what he was looking at, but he started to get a good idea of what it was. He had dealt with it before.

"Radius?" asked Leena. "What's wrong?" she moved forward, trying to see past Radius to see what he was staring at.

"See for yourself," he managed to get out. He stepped through the threshold of the room, allowing Serge and Leena to see what lay beyond.

Serge's suspicion was confirmed when he looked inside and saw the outline of fire, giving off a radiant light that was almost lifelike. The Frozen Flame hovered over Viper's desk, looking outward with its two eyes.

Serge entered the room with Kid, not taking his eyes off the relic in the center of the room. From the corner of his eye he could make out Radius, standing next to General Viper. He also noticed four other figures in the room, all of which he recognized. He knew after he previous adventure that he would never forget them.

Karsh stood in the corner of the room, drawing his eyes off the Frozen Flame for a second as Radius, Serge and Leena entered the room. He was exactly as Serge remembered, standing in his cocky and proud manor with his axe strapped to his side.

Zoah was a mass of muscle compared the smaller figure beside him. His helmet covered his eyes and it was impossible to tell which way he was looking, although Serge figured he must be staring at the Flame as well.

Marcy was at his side, her small body nothing compared to Zoah next to her. She did even notice the three new members who had entered the room.

The last person in the room Serge recognized as Riddel, Viper's beloved daughter. Of all in the room, she was the only one who was not completely engrossed by the Flame, instead peering at the newcomers with curiosity.

There was a long silence as the bodies in the room continued to look at the glittering gem unmoving over the desk.

Viper was the first one to speak after the pause. "Radius, good to see you again."

"I share your greeting. However, it's a shame that we meet under circumstances," Radius answered, finally peeling his eyes away from the Flame.

"And what circumstances would those be?" questioned Viper, raising an eyebrow to Radius.

Radius merely nodded toward Serge, who continued to hold the limp form of Kid in his arms.

For the first time, the people in the room all looked at Serge and Leena with the exception of Riddel, who was continuing to look at them.

"Radius, who are these people?" Viper asked, now peering at Serge closely. His eyes strayed to the Frozen Flame for a second, then back to Serge again.

"People from my village. This is Serge, and this is Leena," Radius explained once more.

"And the other?" Karsh said, his voice resounding throughout the room.

"We question her very identity as well. She was found outside our village, with a wound like I have never seen," Radius told him. "We have traveled from Arni in hopes of saving her, since it is beyond my power to do so."

"So like, you thought you would come to us for help? That is like, so~oo lame…" Marcy chimed into the conversation to the dismay of everyone else.

"Marcy," Viper started turning towards her. "Show respect for these travelers, as their leader was once of the 4 Divas. He is a warrior and is to be honored while in my manor."

Marcy was going to sigh a loud 'whatever' but thought better of it.

Viper turned back to Serge. "Serge is it? Have we met before? I feel like I've met you somewhere before…"

"I assure, you have never met him. Serge has never ventured beyond Arni, and this journey could be called his maiden voyage," Radius chuckled, then took hand of the situation again.

Serge could only smile to himself on the inside.

"That's strange…" Karsh spoke up. "I feel like I know him myself…"

"We must have had a lad who looked like him at the manor once. In any case, it doesn't matter," Viper turned back to Radius. "So Radius, what do you think we can do for her?" motioning towards Kid.

"We had actually hoped to find the Frozen Flame here," Leena entered the conversation. "Radius told us of its power and said that maybe you had it."

Radius nodded his head. "This foolish man believed in the legend, only to find it staring back at me when we entered this room."

Viper laughed. "I assure you, I would not have believed it myself."

"General Viper, if I may ask. How did you come about the Flame?" asked Leena, looking at Viper with a strange glint in her eye.

"A good question, yet hard to answer at the same time," Viper put a hand to his wrinkled forehead, thinking about the past. "It simply appeared."

Serge, Leena, and Radius all gave a little gasp of surprise.

"I know it sounds strange, and it is. But, yesterday, it simply appeared here in my office. We all puzzled over it all day, wondering how it could have came here. But the strangest part is that it just became activated just a short while ago. Just before you arrived to be exact," Viper explained how he came into possession.

"Is that so?" Radius mused. In all the time that he had been in the room, the Flame had caused him to forget something, its radiant exterior making him forget something very dear to him. 

Leena had not forgotten however, and she stepped to Radius's side and whispered something in his ear. His eyes, which had been twinkling with excitement quickly turned to despair as the reality of the situation came rolling back to him. Serge knew Leena had reminded him about the village and all of the devastation that had been caused.

Viper saw Radius's mood change and raised an eyebrow again, looking at Leena who withdrew back to the door without another word.

Radius lowered his head, thinking for a moment, then began to speak, "Another event has also occurred, one that I was not present at to witness. The reason Leena is with us is because she is one of the sole survivors of Arni village."

It was Viper's turn to be surprised, along with Karsh and Marcy. Zoah might have showed emotion, but it wasn't obvious.

Riddel, who had been silent the whole time until now, finally spoke. "How can that be, Arni is a peaceful town, located in the southern region.

"Serge and I were traveling alone until Leena caught up with us. From what she tells us, Arni was destroyed by monsters. They left none standing, and she was fortunate to escape with her own life." Radius paused, trying not to believe his own words. "And I am to blame for the terror, since I had left the village unprotected."

"That cannot be…" Karsh whispered. In the center of the room, the Frozen Flame still hovered, oblivious to the sudden change of mood in the room.

"We are now clinging to one last hope…" Leena said. "A treasure that can grant the hopes and dreams to its user…" Her voice trailed off strangely. Her eyes looked at the Flame. Serge wasn't sure, but for a second, he thought he saw a look of hatred in her eyes. Just as quick as it had come, it faded, leaving Serge to doubt his eyes.

"Radius, do you think that is possible?" Viper asked slowly.

"Legends say the Frozen Flame has wondrous powers beyond human comprehension…" Riddel whispered.

"I too have heard these legends, and they agree that it can do anything," Radius said.

"And what of this girl?" Viper again indicated Kid in Serge's arms. "Where does she fit in?"

"I do not know. I feel however that she may be a piece to a puzzle that perhaps we cannot yet see," replied Radius. "It was too strange that she was found outside the village with such a wound."

"Do you think perhaps the Flame has the power to heal her?" Karsh questioned.

"Vhy vould you say dat?" a voice made them all look toward the door. Leena spun around, unaware of the figure that had sneaked up behind her. "If legends say it ist so, science vill prove it to be true or false either way." The figure stepped through the doorway, immediately entering the light given off by the Frozen Flame.

"Luccia, good of you to join us," Viper greeted, seeing the professor in full light. "Perhaps you can answer some questions for us."

Luccia's glasses sparkled as she peered at Kid, studying her. Her white lab coat hung to her knees, and various tools protruded from the pockets.

"There is nothing that you vill ask that I can answer," Luccia explained. "It vould be best to not ponder such matters ven you ave no vay of knowing the outcome."

"Then what should we do?" Riddel asked.

"Simple," Luccia answered. "Perform an experiment. If dis is the real Frozen Flame, it should grant the wishes to whoever touches it. Thus, if von of us vere to touch it, ve vould see the results firsthand."

"So who do you think should touch it then? We have a wounded girl and a destroyed village," Viper pondered his own question. "And how do you explain the fact that it has suddenly 'awakened' just now?"

Luccia, from where she was examining Kid, turned and stepped toward the Frozen Flame, which only stared back at her in response. "I agree it is odd for it to avaken now. Yet maybe it vas vaiting for these people to arrive, as if sensing their plight."

"Whatever…" Marcy moaned, disbelieving.

"Furthermore," Luccia said, ignoring the girl. "Since whoever touches the Flame vill be theoretically granted a vish, it vould be probable to assume that they vould vish for something that they really vant."

Serge was starting to get an idea of where she was heading and was thinking that it might not be the best idea. He alone knew of how close the world had come to destruction by a Lavos spawn bent on devouring all of time. But he also really wanted to help Kid, and to figure out why she was here. Radius was right in his belief that she would be able to shed some light on what was going on.

"So…who do you think should touch it?" Karsh asked, looking around the room to each individual.

"It ist simple," Luccia stated.

"You think she should touch it?" Viper asked, looking at the limp form of Kid in Serge's arms.

"Of course. In her vounded state, it vould stand to reason that the thing she wants most is to be healed again. If anyvone else touches it, there is not telling what the effects might be," Luccia had turned back to Kid, peering at her as if looking through it.

"It actually does make sense," said Riddel. "Anyone else might mean good, but have an underlining greed that would take over when touching the Frozen Flame." She lowered her eyes to the ground, gazing at the floor while remembering something. 

"Our choices seem limited," confirmed Radius, looking around the room, his eyes coming to stop on the Flame once more.

"May I touch it?" Leena asked suddenly, standing behind Luccia at the door. All eyes turned to her for a moment, everyone asking the silent question.

"I think maybe I should touch it…" she said quietly. "Right now I want nothing more than to get Arni back…"

"Leena…" Radius began. "You're filled with all sorts of emotions right now, there is no telling what you might wish for. You might mean good, but your heart may be filled with revenge at the monsters that ravaged are town. I know, since I feel the same way."

"But…" started Leena.

"I agree with Radius. You have lost something very dear to you and because of this your wish may be one of hate," Viper stood unmoving, his presence magnified in the light given off by the red relic.

Leena made to open her mouth again, then gave up in defeat, taking a step back to the door again. Serge noticed her eyes flash another time, the same as before. He was hoping he was imagining things, but he thought Leena was acting strangely.

"So like, are we going to do something? Or are we going to like, stand here all day?" Marcy's patience had left her. Since the arrival of the newcomers, the attention to her had dwindled and she was getting tired of it.

"Marcy, this is nothing to rush into," Karsh told her. "This is a pretty touchy subject."

"She has a point however. Since there is no way to tell what will happen, we are doing no good just talking about it," Radius said, looking at the child with understanding.

"So what do you propose?" Viper asked him.

Radius thought about it for a long moment before answering. "I think under the circumstances, the one who would have the wish with the easiest effects to see would be her," he pointed at Kid.

"My thoughts exactly," Luccia confirmed.

There was a heavy silence as everyone thought about it once more. Karsh brought a hand to his chin, lowering his head in deep thought. Zoah continued to be a statue, just content on listening to the conversation. Riddel had already made up her mind. Marcy just sighed and waited for something to happen.

"Very well then. For her own good, and for a first experiment, let this girl touch it," stated Viper. "Are there any objections?"

Silence followed the question.

"Serge," Radius said slowly. "Place her hand upon the Flame. May its mercy heal her."

Serge walked forward from the wall, feeling all eyes upon him. As he drew near the Flame, it began to grow brighter, causing him to hesitate a second. Its two eyes gazed at him, looking into his very soul. He could feel it, like a blanket wrapped around him, clouding his vision. Serge felt like it knew him. Sensed what he had already accomplished.

He took another step toward the Flame, within reaching distance now. Slowly, he reached down and took hold of one of Kid's hands. It felt cold to his touch, causing him to worry about her all the more now. Her face was even worse, twisted in silent agony at the wound at her side.

Serge drew her apparently lifeless hand upward, drawing it ever closer to the Flame. All eyes were on his him, nobody in the room moving a muscle.

All save one. Due to Serge's distraction, Leena had stepped backwards once more, halfway through the door now. She placed a hand to her wrist, touching in lightly.

Kid's hand was inches from the Flame drawing closer.

Leena's left hand began to transform. Claws began to grow out from her fingers, which began to change themselves.

Kid's hand was buried in the light of the Flame. The Flame itself began to react, glowing even more brightly. Closer.

Leena's arm was completely changed. Where soft flesh had been, there was now green skin. Her hand had doubled in size, the claws protruding from the ends of the fingers now three inches in length.

Everyone was motionless, watching intensely as Kid's hand closed the final gap to the Flame.


	4. Enmity Rekindled

Chapter 4

****

Enmity Rekindled…

There was a tremendous flash of light, as if the very sun had appeared in the room. Everyone who was watching threw an arm to their face to shield their eyes from the light.

Amid the light, Serge stood transfixed in horror as he heard a sound that made his heart sink. Kid screamed, a long agonizing scream, which echoed throughout the room continuously. 

There was another flash of light and Serge was blown backwards, slamming into the wall harshly.

Kid's scream had stopped, but it still echoed loudly in Serge's ears, making him bring a hand to his head.

Radius and Viper had both taken a step back in disbelief, trying to figure out what was going on. Karsh's eyes were still shielded as he drew back, instinctively bringing his free hand to his axe. Zoah had grabbed Marcy by the shoulder with one of his massive hands and had drew her back from the desk with him.

Riddel had seen Serge fly through the air to crash into the wall and ran to him, kneeling down on her knees beside him. Serge felt a cold feeling run through his body and realized that Riddel had cast a healing element on him.

He crawled to his feet, attempting to gaze through the intense light that was still being given off by the Flame. Outside the room, he could hear shouts and yells from the soldiers near the office and the ringing of running feet upon the floor.

As quickly as it had started, the light suddenly died down, returning the room to its normal state.

Serge heard a gasp of horror from Luccia, who was now standing in front of him, obstructing his view of what she was looking at. She had moved after the light had flashed, stumbling sideways at the initial shock of what had happened.

Serge jumped past Riddel who was now standing beside him. She had a look of horror on her face that couldn't help but feel himself, even though he didn't know what she was looking at.

His eyes found the desk where the Frozen Flame had been and he raised them, trying to prepare for whatever lay there.

It took him an instant to figure out what he was looking at. The Frozen Flame had taken Kid unto itself. She had been absorbed into the glowing fire, and her body was now being encased in crystal. Serge watched in horror as memories flooded back to him. A single name came to his mind.

__

Schala.

The Frozen Flame's eyes now gazed directly into Serge's as if thanking him for what he had done. It had grown in size Serge noticed, now big enough to stretch beyond the edge of Kid's body. Serge watched in fear as he saw Kid open her eyes for a moment, looking down into his own with despair. Her face was twisted in pain as she looked at him, silently asking him to help her. 

Kid's one eye then flashed, changing color in the process. It turned to the exact color of the Frozen Flame that was encasing her.

Serge ran forward, not even realizing he was doing it. His one thought was to help Kid. He reached her crystal cage, placing a hand upon it. His hand tingled as he looked up at Kid again. For a second, her eyes returned to normal and she again had a look of pain upon her face.

Serge felt his hand grow hot and he yanked it away, ignoring the pain that followed. He continued to look up at Kid in a helpless manor. 

He then heard a voice in the back of his head. _Serge, please help me…_

Serge knew it was Kid, she was calling to him. He never felt so helpless in his entire life. He watched painfully as Kid's eye again changed color and her face relaxed.

Serge heard a scream behind him. It sounded like Riddel. There was another shout, a warning.

He turned instinctively, trying to see what the commotion was about. His eyes widened as he saw what everyone else in the room was looking at.

In the doorway to the office, there stood a monster unlike any he had ever seen. Its body was a deep shade of green. It was standing on two legs, with two arms as well. In one of the arms was a glowing weapon that gave off eerie blue light. Its head had two eyes and a pointed mouth with a long, forked tongue. 

The creature reminded Serge of a giant reptile.

Another burst of energy from the Frozen Flame pushed Serge backwards once more, only this time it wasn't as forceful and he was able to recover himself before he hit the wall.

The creature saw his movement and turned its large, black eyes on him. Serge could only stare back, still trying to comprehend what was going on.

Radius had meanwhile recovered from his initial shock of seeing the creature Leena had turned into and took a step forward, his hand clutching his staff tightly. "What business have you here?" he demanded, again presenting himself as the proud warrior he was. It sounded as if he would have been able to make stones move with his voice.

The creature took its eyes off Serge and turned them towards Radius. Its lips moved backwards to form a cruel smile.

Radius stood proud and repeated his question.

"Wretched human…" the creature hissed. "You are of no concern."

Radius's eyes faltered for just a moment, now realizing that the thing could even talk in the first place.

The creature turned away from him and looked at the Frozen Flame, which had now completely encased Kid, her body just a puppet to it now.

The smile never faded from the creature's lips as it spoke again. "Soon, this planet will be forever rid of human scum."

The Frozen Flame gave a little flash of light in response, causing the creature to smile even more.

"Come humans!" the creature yelled, turning once more to Serge. "Feel the millions of years of the suffering of this planet!"

Radius moved without a sound, his staff raised above his head faster than the eyes could follow. It made a downward arc through the air before anyone could respond, aiming for the creature's head.

To the old man's surprise, the creature moved even faster than he, its body twisting around, raising its glowing weapon in the air. The staff connected with the strange weapon and sparks flew from the contact.

The creature then made a sweeping counterattack, raising its own weapon for a blow. Radius barely managed to raise his own weapon to block the attack. The glowing weapon struck his staff, causing it to burst apart in a shower of splinters.

Radius shock was evident on his face as the creature struck out with its free arm, striking him across the chest with a clawed hand. Radius reeled backwards from the force of the blow, crashing into Viper, sending them both to the floor.

A creaking sound was heard as a hidden door slid open, a figure standing in the doorway. Serge's eyes tried to look at two different things at once. Heads turned to look at the new arrival.

The figure stepped through the doorway and into the light of the room. In his hand was a weapon of jagged edges and a deep purple color. Tendrils of black and purple whirled around the edge of the sword, causing it to look alive.

Serge's mind reeled as he realized he was looking at Lynx. The demihuman stood in the doorway, looking at each member in the room, his eyes finally stopping on Serge.

The lizard creature had stopped in its attack, finding amusement at watching Radius and Viper trying to climb to their feet.

Karsh now had his axe in hand, not sure of which target to go for. Zoah had placed Marcy behind him, shielding her small figure with his massive frame. Riddel and Luccia had found places beside one another, each looking from one enemy to the next, not sure what to believe.

At sometime during the events, Serge had drawn his swallow, not even remembering doing so. He now stared back at Lynx, wondering what he could possibly be doing here. He shouldn't be here, FATE was destroyed.

Serge's mind desperately sought to figure out was going on, but found itself only going in circles, asking too many questions at once.

In the center of the room, the Frozen Flame/Kid integration hovered, passively watching the scene unfold.

Serge heard someone yell 'Fireball!'. It was followed by careening flame arcing through the air toward the lizard creature. It paid no heed to the attack, simply raising a hand to block the flame, which instantly disappeared into nothing.

Horror etched into the faces of the humans in the room, who were now beginning to understand the severity of the situation. 

Karsh made a lunge toward his nearest target. The Masamune sword blocked the axe swinging downward and made its own counterattack. Karsh danced to one side, barely avoiding the blow and pressed his attack further. The sound of axe ringing against the Masamune rang throughout the room. 

Lynx swept his sword outward, forcing Karsh to take a step back. In the moment he backed up, there was a flash from Lynx's hand and a bolt of electricity sizzled into Karsh's open chest. He let out a yell as he stumbled backwards, lurching past the Frozen Flame and coming to a halt beside Serge.

"Run!" Radius screamed from where he stood. "We can do no more here!"

Humans responded immediately, coming out of their frozen states to make a motion towards the door to the room.

Serge stood still however, seeing the immediate problem. The lizard creature that had made Radius look like a child was blocking the exit to the room. 

Without thinking twice, Serge darted forward. The creature turned to face its newest attacker, the glowing weapon held ready.

Serge's swallow flashed and was met by the creature's own weapon. Serge ducked down to the left, trying to get around the creature before a counterattack came. There was a flash of blue light as the creature launched his own attack against Serge, who had his swallow ready in time.

Sparks danced off the weapons as the two fighters locked their weapons once more.

Serge then jumped forward at an unlikely time, lancing his swallow out to strike at the creature but leaving him defenseless to his sides. 

The lizard creature had its defenses up in time but had to take a step back due to the force of the attack. However, its other hand was left free, and it used to swipe out at Serge's open side. Claws sank through clothing and Serge felt flesh give way to gashes. Pain and shot through the right side of his body as warm blood began to ooze from the wound.

Serge felt a slight wave of dizziness pass over him, but he also saw that he had accomplished what he had hoped for with the attack. The creature had been forced from its position at the door, which was now open. Radius and Serge made eye contact for a brief moment as Serge made ready for another attack. Radius read the look in Serge's eyes and understood what he was trying to do for everyone else.

"Now!" Radius yelled. "You won't get another chance!"

Footsteps rang on the floor as the humans in the room except for Serge bolted for the door. 

Riddel and Luccia were the first ones to make and ran through, wanting to help but now seeing a way that they could. Zoah and Marcy were next, Zoah almost pulling Marcy along with him, as her short legs could not keep up.

Karsh made it to the door next, curses spewing from his mouth as he swore he would get even. His axe had lost its edge where it had come in contact with Lynx's weapon.

Serge meanwhile had struck out at the creature again, only to find his weapon blocked every time he did so. 

Viper reached the door before Radius and barreled through, looking to sound the alert in the manor if it hadn't been already. Radius was the last to the door. He stopped and turned around and a wind began to pick up in the room.

Jagged thorns began to grow out of the floor beneath the creature's feet and it jumped back to avoid being trapped, giving Serge and opening.

"Now Serge! Run!" Radius screamed, beckoning Serge towards him. 

Serge made to turn, but fatigue had set in from the wound and he faltered for a moment.

In the instant he was motionless, Lynx raised his hand. A large crystal of ice began to form, quickly growing to the size of a body. Lynx shot it at Radius, standing in the doorway.

Radius ducked, thinking the element was at him, when instead it crashed into the archway over the door. The mass caused the archway to buckle, then begin to collapse under the force of the attack. 

Radius looked up at shards of stone and ice began to rain down on him. From out of nowhere, a massive hand reached through the falling debris and grabbed hold of his collar, yanking him free from the danger. The archway continued to crumble until a loud crashing sound was heard.

Serge looked up to see that the spot where the door had been had completely caved in. He lurched forward, placing his hand on the wall when he reached it.

He knew it was hopeless to get out of the room now. He was blocked off from the only exit and the wound in his side was staining his shirt red with blood.

In front of him, the lizard creature and Lynx had come to stand beside one another, both looking at him with twisted smiles on their faces.

Through his blurring vision, Serge could see Kid's body being grown into the Frozen Flame. Her eyes were closed now and she showed now signs of life. 

What was going on? Too many things had happened in the past ten minutes to recollect. Serge found that he could only focus his gaze on Kid as Lynx and the creature moved towards him.

"We shall end humanity's dreams now!" Serge heard one of the figures in front of him proclaim the line, but he wasn't sure which one.

Through the scattered rubble behind him, Serge could hear blurred voices yelling back and forth. He figured the whole manor must be on the alert by now, and most of them were probably right on the other side of the wall he was leaning against.

Two more steps and the pair of figures now stood before Serge, gazing down on him with a glint of victory in their eyes. Serge couldn't peel his eyes away from Kid, he felt ashamed that there was nothing he could do for her now…

There was a loud explosion, and Serge felt as if his entire body was being poked by thousands of tiny needles. Before snapping his eyes shut, he looked up in time to see a look of surprise on the faces of his two enemies. Both of them took a step back, looking around, seeking to figure out what had happened as well.

Serge's body felt a new sensation as the needles stopped poking him and water droplets began to careen into his face. Above his head, he could hear extreme cracking sounds, one after the other.

It took Serge a moment to realize that the roof of the room had been completely torn off and torrents of rain were now pounding down on top of them. Gigantic bolts of lightning sizzled through the air followed by the explosive noise of thunder.

Through rain soaked hair Serge could make out Lynx and his partner stumble back even further, intense winds causing them to lose their footing. He then looked up to see that the clouds that brought the storm had blackened the entire sky. It could've been nighttime for all he knew. Not a ray of light shown through the blanket that covered the manor.

It took Serge another second to finally see yet another figure that had appeared in the room. A purple cloak surrounded the white robes that the person wore. Through the light given off by the still glowing Frozen Flame/Kid integration, Serge could make out blonde hair on the head of the person moving towards him.  


A voice spoke inside Serge's head, one that he recognized instantly. "Serge…Don't go yet Serge…"

__

Schala.

Serge saw blue beams travel from a smooth, raised hand of the person still moving towards him. They flashed to him in an instant and he immediately began to feel the wound in his side close up, the flesh magically reconstructing itself.

The rain swept away the last of the blood that had seeped out of the wound and except for the stained clothing, Serge wouldn't have been able to tell he was ever injured.

He quickly scrambled to his feet, feeling a new wave of energy wash over him. Through the shroud of rain, he could see the glowing sword of the lizard creature begin to move towards him again. 

A yellow light emitted from Schala's hand, and rocks began to tumble away from the broken wall. They flew in the direction of the glowing sword that pierced through the dark rain like a beacon. It moved to counter them, fending off rocks hurling at the hidden body behind it.

"Serge…Now is the chance to escape!" the words weren't spoken in Serge's head this time. He had heard them. He turned to see the person who had cured him standing next to him. Her eyes pierced his own and saw something in them that he knew he had seen before. Something he was used to…

The Frozen Flame, which had been idle during all the fighting suddenly gathered a burst of energy in front of itself. The red beam shot forward, straight at Schala. She reacted as though she were liquid. Her arm raised and a purple haze formed at the tip of her hand. The red beam crashed into it and dissolved. Schala wavered at the force of the blow however and she took a step backward to recover.

She didn't hesitate, her hand raised anew and Serge felt his body flutter for a second. Serge responded instinctively, but soon realized that he had nothing to go on. His feet left the ground and he rose into the center of the room as rain continued to pour around his head. Across from him, Schala's body was rising as well, following him as the two traveled upward. Serge frantically looked downward into the room for the last time, seeking to discover Kid through the dark haze within.

The Frozen Flame gave off the same glow, its statue form continuing to hover in the center of the destroyed office. Another motion caught Serge's eye. Lynx was moving towards him with full speed, moving like a wraith through the night.

Serge's body acted on instinct. His hand raised without him even telling it to. Energy began to gather there, a ball of white light growing larger in size. Just before Lynx reached him, Serge hurled the energy he had gathered into the approaching enemy. Lynx was hurled backwards into the room, only to be swept away by the fierce winds that had now begun to circle in the exposed interior.

Thunder cracked louder in Serge's ears as he sensed himself flying even higher. Below him, the last shimmering form of the Frozen Flame could be seen, its body starting to grow. Light rays swirled around it as rain dumped into the room. Without warning, Serge saw a light beam pierce the darkness underneath him. It streaked toward the pair, who were now over the entire manor. Serge struggled to move his body, only to find that he had no control over where he was going. 

Across from him, Schala saw it as well and her body jerked to one side. Serge felt himself being yanked in the same direction as well. The ray of light sliced through the air where Schala had just been. Serge felt an immense heat given off from the light, and he covered the side of his face with a hand, hoping to ward off a burn.

Serge felt himself being borne sideways, out towards the sea. Without warning, another light beam shot towards them, its origin unknown in the raging storm. He sensed his body being jerked to another side once more and heard a horrible scream pierce the air. Though bleary eyes he searched around him and just caught a glimpse of Schala faltering for a second before she plummeted downward.

Serge let out a cry of dismay as the force that controlled his body suddenly released him and he fell. Rain beat at him like tiny needles as he sensed an impending collision. All at once, the breath left his lungs, as he felt every bone on his body want to crumble. In a distant corner of his mind, he was aware of the sound of waves stirring around him. He went rigid and then fell into a twirling darkness.

Radius was in the lead, followed closely by General Viper and Luccia. Zoah and Marcy followed, Zoah carrying Marcy in his huge arms. Riddel came after, her dress hindering her speed slightly as she sought to run as fast as she could. Karsh was next, axe in one hand, prepared to fend off another attack if one came. 

They reached the elevator, Radius flicking the switch before all the followers had even reached it. Two jumps ensued, the people in the rear both diving as the platform rumbled downward, almost without them. 

As soon as it touched the ground the group continued at their frantic pace. Around them, the walls of the manor could be heard cracking at their seems.

Ahead of them, the large archway leading to the final room before the exit had started to collapse, its foundation shuddering violently.

"We're not going to make it!" Viper warned, his body straining to gain as much speed as it could muster.

From out of nowhere, another man appeared from a side doorway. His feet never touched the ground as he flew into the crumbling doorway. He faced was concealed in a mask and he was dressed in white clothing with elaborate detail. A staff that was in his hand raised upward, wedging into the archway above. Black rods emerged from it shaft, jutting upward, holding the collapsing rock in place.

"Hurry!" he ordered, looking at them while he strained to bear the burden he was holding.

Radius scrambled through the doorway, followed closely by Viper and Luccia. The whole group dashed past the man, their momentum causing them to have to take the next set of stairs in midair.

Once Karsh had ducked under the man's raised arm, the stranger jumped through the doorway with him as the sound of the falling rock echoed in their ears. The shuddering of the manor grew ever louder, stone shattering and the marble floor giving way to thousands of cracks that pulsed through it.

Radius and Viper had meanwhile been frantically trying to open the remaining door barring their freedom. The massive double doors leading into the manor had been wedged shut by a boulder that had fallen from the ceiling directly above. The old men were having no luck at budging the heavy object before them.

"MOVE!" rang a shout. Zoah had finished his decent of the stairs with Marcy still in his arms. He picked up as much speed as he could muster and headed straight at the doors. Radius and Viper dove to either side to avoid the avalanche of muscle heading their way. In the instant before he hit the door, Zoah spun around, slamming into with his back to prevent Marcy from being injured. Her eyes were wide with the thought that she was going to be smashed into the wall.

The wood creaked and splintered for an moment before bursting apart, showing the light that lay beyond. Zoah's massive form created a hole big enough for everyone else to fit through easily and they all scrambled through.

Behind the fleeing group, pillars had started collapsing. The ceiling, losing its remaining supports, caved in, in a torrent of falling debris.

The group reached the safety of the forest as the remaining structure of Viper Manor collapsed behind them.


	5. A New Burden

Chapter 5

****

A New Burden

__

Serge…

__

Please…

  
Help me…

"Serge…Don't go yet Serge…"

Serge opened his eyes slowly, the light of the sky making his vision blurry and painful. He was lying on his back in the sand. Not far by was where he had washed up on shore, his weapon, in the sand ignoring the gentle waves washing up onto it.

Above him, a face peered down at him intently. He recognized the eyes.

With a grunt he forced himself to an upright position. Moving was painful and his muscles felt like they had been twisted into a knot. Gazing around he thought that they must be somewhere to the west of Viper Manor, somewhere just north of Termina.

Serge turned and looked at Schala, who was sitting next to him. Her blonde hair flowed from her head to her shoulders. Her garments, though disheveled still looked perfect and she looked as though nothing had happened.

Serge found himself having a hard time remembering what happened as well. Thoughts raced through his mind and he tried to make sense of them all. The Frozen Flame had captured Kid. Lynx had appeared, along with a reptile of some sort. Then there was Schala…

He brought a hand to his head to wipe away some tears that had formed. The image of Kid's face was locked into his mind.

"Serge," Schala whispered quietly.

He shook his head sadly. He hadn't been able to help Kid…

"Serge," Schala repeated. "Something terrible has happened."

Serge turned and looked at her now. He found himself looking at Kid once more, only without the small white marks on her cheeks. More memories flooded in and he had a hard time controlling himself. Something wasn't right with the whole thing. Too many old faces had appeared. Things were supposed to have gone back to normal after they saved Schala, but now she was sitting right in front of him.

"I know what you must be feeling," Schala soothed. "I feel the same way. It wasn't supposed to be like this, but fate took a different course than what we expected of it." 

She shifted her position and Serge noticed that a large hole had that had been concealed from him was in her robe. Through the hole he could see a searing black mark where the flesh had been burnt. He figured that it was the reason that Schala had cried out when they were making their escape.

"Serge, you are wondering what it going on and how it could have possibly happened," Schala continued. "I'm afraid I don't know everything that is going on myself, but I'll tell you all I know."

Serge looked at her for awhile, just trying to slow the thoughts in his mind. He shifted himself again, ready to hear what she had to say.

"It began when you and your companions saved me from the Time Devourer in the Tesseract," began Schala, her words thoughtful and full of life. "Time was to be reunited and things were going to be normal again. Serge, I had hoped that you would be able to go back to your regular life, and live it the way you wanted to but…" she trailed off for a second.

"I'm sorry Serge. You've done so much, yet things still aren't normal. You seem to be one of great importance in the river of time and it never seems to leave you alone," Schala lowered her head for a second before continuing.

"Time didn't reunite correctly, however. That is because my clone and I never reunited…" Schala paused while Serge raised his eyebrows slightly. "Kid and I never reunited because of her…our pendent. I had bestowed it to Kid to protect her from harm. I thought it would only protect against physical harm. However, at the moment of my being freed from the Time Devourer, something happened inside Kid and the pendent. Kid felt pain…"

"She felt emotional pain. Pain at the thought of being separated from you, Serge…" she paused once more.

Serge bowed his head, now realizing what had happened. Kid's amulet had flared at the moment their reuniting and had transported her through time to a different place to shield her from harm.

"This created a rift between us. Time didn't reunite properly. Kid, with her jump through time with the pendent, started another path through time slightly different than my own. Our two time streams tried to reunite once more and I was lost in the flow. The two paths collided and meshed with one another, creating this world that we are in now."

"The problem is that Kid jumped back in time with the pendent, so her time stream brought some things with it that were otherwise thought gone. Lynx was one of them,"

Serge shook his head violently. That wasn't possible. They had destroyed FATE in the future, thus ensuring Lynx's death.

"Serge, in your time, you were under the belief that only one Lynx was alive between the two worlds. The truth is that both were alive. The one you kept encountering was the Lynx from another world and the incarnation of the FATE computer system. The other was stored in the home world for safe keeping by FATE. You see, it wasn't the direct incarnation of the FATE computer system, rather, it was a shell for its memory."

"When you destroyed FATE, in the short time before its death, it ran a program. This program was a product of the corruption of FATE by the entity known as Lavos. The program was called 'Memories of FATE'. You see, when you traveled through time to the future, FATE realized its impending doom, but it had a backup plan. The stored body of Lynx in the home world was its backup plan. When the 'Memories of FATE' program was ran, it instructed the Lynx shell to hunt out and destroy the source of its demise. This program was designed to ensure that even if FATE were destroyed at a point in time in the future, it would be able to send a backup plan from the past to prevent it from happening."

"So when Kid's path traveled backward slightly, it was enough for the Lynx shell of FATE to leap to her time and was then present when Kid's time merged with my own. Thus, Lynx is able to be live in this time, even though he is a entity from a past that is destroyed."

Serge couldn't believe what he was hearing. Things had turned out so wrong. The world was supposed to return to the peaceful one he once knew.

"And so it was that the 'Memories of FATE' program's target was Kid. She was the one who traveled back in time to prevent you from drowning on that fateful day and in turn it was you who destroyed FATE. If Kid, or you, is erased from the present, FATE can again exist in the future due to your absence."

"This isn't the worst part of the whole picture though Serge. Once Kid's time and my own time tried to merge, people from Kid's past time were vanquished into the Tesseract. There they now dwell in anger and hatred."

"Once the Time Devourer was destroyed, the Frozen Flame became the last remaining piece of the alien being Lavos, that crashed into our planet millions of years ago. The Lavos fragment is still trying to survive and continue on its quest to feed off the planet. Once it realized that it was about to be cast away from the flow of time and into the Tesseract when the time streams merged, it enacted its last maneuver. Just when time was reunited, the Frozen Flame drew upon the negative energy in the Tesseract from people's feelings. It was able to achieve this power from a Lavos entity that dwells in the Tesseract from a destroyed time stream. This gave it enough power to draw itself from the Tesseract and travel to the reunited time stream that was formed by Kid and I."

"This means that the Frozen Flame is now in the reunited time stream and is once again trying to reconstruct another Time Devourer. This time it plans to make a Time Devourer that is twice as strong as the one you fought. It knows of the breaking of Kid and I, and seeks to encase us both. If it were to do that, time would forever be destroyed at the hands of the entity it would create."

"Serge, as I said. When the time streams meshed together, I was lost between them and have been searching for you ever since. I was able to find this time when the Frozen Flame captured Kid. I felt her through the dimensions and felt her pain. That allowed me to find this time and I was able to travel here before you were destroyed. I was reckless in my entrance and was almost captured by the flame, but I had to get you out of there, Serge."

"I am sorry to tell you this, but your roll is not yet over. Rather, it is just as important now as it ever was."

Serge went cold. This was almost too much information for him to bear. His mind reeled. He thought of everyone that he had journeyed with on his adventure and suddenly his thoughts went back to Leena and Arni village.

Schala, as if reading his mind nodded her head once more. "I'm sorry Serge, but Arni village is gone. It was destroyed by an advanced race of reptiles from the far off future of another dimension. As you know, humans are basically an alien species to the planet and it has never fully healed from our invasion. The Planet felt the convolution created by the time streams of Kid and I and also sensed the Frozen Flame, which had traveled to the newly constructed time as well. This survival of the alien presence angered the Planet and it began its own plan. It drew highly advanced reptiles from a dimension where they are the species that has evolved closely with the Planet. The Planet drew these reptiles to the only point it could transport them to…Opassa Beach. Opassa Beach is the still the distortion of both our worlds. The Planet sensed this and was able to draw the reptites to it."

"When the reptites emerged, they began forming a plan with the planet. I cannot say I know what it is, but it has something to do with Kid, the Frozen Flame, and you, Serge. After arriving in this time, the reptites headed straight to Arni, I think it was in hopes of finding you…"

Serge let out a small, defeating sigh. His village had been destroyed because he wasn't there when the reptites had attacked it…they had been looking for him when they arrived.

"Serge…" Schala soothed. "These reptiles are highly advanced beings. There was nothing you could've done. You aren't responsible Serge…"

Serge said nothing. He stared out over the sea, despair and sadness washing over him. He felt as though his life had been crushed right in front of him and there was nothing he could do about it. Even as he sat, thoughts of Kid started to find their way back inside his head.

"There is more. It will be hard to listen, but you must. After the FATE shell of Lynx was pulled into the jumbled, reunited time stream, it sought to gain a weapon of enough power to destroy Kid. It thought the Masamune was the only weapon strong enough to do this. Unaware that he was actually drawn to it, Lynx made contact with the Frozen Flame that had traveled to this period. The Frozen Flame transported Lynx to a distorted area of Kid's time stream and mine. This area was around the Isle of the Damned and the twisted sword, Masamune. Lynx arrived in time to achieve the Masamune and took it for his own before the distortion warped itself again, which would have caused the Masamune to have been lost forever. Lynx was then drawn back to this time by the Frozen Flame and commenced his search for Kid. He found her just outside of Arni Village and attacked her. Kid would've perished if not for her pendent, which transported her back in time. It was just enough to save her life and she wound up in Arni Village. That is where her story and yours began to unfold once more."

Schala stopped for a few moments, gazing out at the water as it washed up onto the shore. Serge was silent beside her, not sure of what to think. She turned back to him then, looking into his eyes.

"Serge, forces are at work once more to unravel the very fabric of time. The battle for the supremacy of time and the planet is still under way. We must stop what would happen if any of these forces win. I don't know we can hope to accomplish this, but I do know that you will play a key roll in it all, Serge…"

"So," Karsh muttered to the group of people in front of him. They had escaped the Manor before its collapse and retreated into the woods for a distance before stopping to rest at a clearing. "Let's review what we know so far…absolutely nothing."

"That ist not entirely true…" Luccia chimed in. She was sitting beside Marcy on the ground near the edge of the clearing. "Ve know that Lynx and the Frozen Flame were planning something. Ve also know that there ist another force at work in all this. This would explain the presence of that reptile."

"Speaking of green and ugly…Like, what was that thing?" asked Marcy. Of the entire group, she appeared to be the least changed by the events that had unfolded.

"It is hard to say, but it had unspeakable power. It moved with a speed and power that I have never seen before. My pride was wounded when I was defeated in battle," Radius answered. "As to its origin, I have no idea. Suffice it to say, it also wanted to see the Frozen Flame, which would explain why it took the disguise of Leena to travel with us…" The old man's head lowered and any who looked upon him could now see the signs of his old age. His wrinkled brow and frail body showed none of the past that he had been a part of.

"So it is true then…" General Viper murmured. He sat like a statue on a nearby rock. "Arni village has been destroyed. To think, it happened right under my nose."

"And just what the hell was demihuman doing in there anyway?" asked Karsh, who was fingering the notch in the blade of his axe angrily. "He'll pay for what he did to my weapon…"

"I felt his presence as soon as I had entered the mansion, but could not explain what it was," said a voice. The eyes of the group turned to the man who had aided in their escape. Guile had placed himself in front of a nearby tree and seemed to blend with the bark. Riddel had to look twice just to make sure he was there.

"Which brings me to my next question…what were you doing inside the mansion?" Karsh asked Guile, eyeing him curiously.

"I broke in on a bet from a friend of mine. I was about to retrieve my proof of entry when the Manor started to collapse. I quickly made for the exit and that is where our stories met," Guile explained, looking out into the surrounding forest.

"So like, you were a thief then?" Marcy squealed.

"Not a thief if I returned with nothing more than scratches," replied Guile. He then turned his eyes on Viper. "Sorry to provide any inconvenience."

"I should be the one to thank you," Vipor answered. "If it weren't for you, our exit would've been barred and we would be buried in rubble as we speak."

Those nearby could hear Marcy letting out a 'whatever' sigh.

"So a cat and that other monster were in the room. But what happened when that strange girl and the Frozen Flame made contact?" Riddel asked from where she was sitting.

"The Frozen Flame vanted to make contact vit the girl apparently. It seemed to vaiting for her," Luccia answered. "That explains vhy it activated vhen they reached the Manor."

"That makes sense," agreed Karsh. "But why did it want her?"

Luccia shook her head, her glasses slipping down her nose. "I have no idea."

"So like, what happened to that Serge guy?" Nobody knowing what was going on was annoying Marcy.

Radius's face lowered even further, but he said nothing.

"I…I don't think he made it…" Riddel whispered. "He was still in the room when the frame crumbled and…"

"Poor guy. He was the one who allowed us to get out of there too," Karsh looked as though he was angry with himself. "I should've been the one to go after that damn lizard. Hey," he perked up suddenly. "Did anybody else felt like you sort of knew him from somewhere?"

Zoah, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, spoke through his massive helmet. "YES. HE SEEMED FAMILIAR."

"I too felt as though I should know him. But from where, I cannot say," Riddel now wore a complex look on her face.

"Me too," Viper added.

"I as vell felt as though I had met him before," Luccia was cleaning her glasses with a free hand.

"It is strange," Radius began. "I have known Serge for four years now. I have watched him grow and saw nothing different about him. But a few days ago, he went to Opassa Beach. When he returned, he looked, different somehow. Not in his appearance, but I sensed something had changed. I should've questioned it when I had the chance…"

"He may still be alive," spoke Riddel. "He was in the room with the Frozen Flame. It's possible that it did something to prevent the collapse of the that room."

"For now we can only hope that is true…" Viper replied. "As for now, we need to figure out what to do."

"There are a lot of things that we don't know right now," Radius said, recomposing himself. "Asking more questions is only going to confuse us more. Somehow we need to get some answers from somebody."

"Where do you suggest we turn?" asked Karsh. He appeared to be enthusiastic about the plan for action.

"I don't know," Radius replied. "Where do we turn to for answers when we aren't even sure of what our problem is?"

"I'd say one problem is that our Manor collapsed," Marcy told him. "But that doesn't help much."

"Does anyone have any ideas on where to go?" Riddel stood up, dusting herself off in the process. He red eyes gleamed with a new kindled hope.

"I don't care where we go, so long as we get even with the bastards that ruined our Manor," Karsh was eyeing his axe blade once more, cursing softly under his breath.

"Ve vill need to go somewhere or to someone that has a knowledge of such things," Luccia helped Marcy to her feet.

"Guldove," came a reply. Guild floated to the group from where he had been standing. Marcy was still transfixed by how his feet never touched the ground.

"Guldove? Why there?" Karsh questioned.

"Guldove has a divine shaman there. He is aware of what happens in the spiritual world as well as in the physical world. He will be able to help us," answered Guile. His staff floated mysteriously beside him.

"So now we need a boat," Radius observed. "I guess that leaves us no choice but to head for Termina. We will be able to get transportation there."

"It ist not much to go on, but at least we have a plan," Luccia sighed.

"Very well," Viper said, straightening up. "To Termina and Guldove."


	6. Battle of Light and Dark

Chapter 6

****

Battle of Light and Dark

__

Serge…please help…me

__

In front of him, Serge could see her body, slowly being transformed. She was screaming, but no sound echoed in his ears, only in his head.

Serge…

Please help me…

Serge reached a blurry hand to touch her, but her figure became distorted and his hand grasped air.

Serge…

Help me…

Serge awoke with a start. Darkness surrounded him and he remembered where he was. He and Schala had traveled south earlier in the day and had stopped in a small clearing they found in the forest north of Arni. Schala had told Serge that they should head to Opassa Beach. She couldn't explain the reason, but she felt that something important was about to happen.

After she had explained all she knew of what was happening, Schala had went strangely quiet. They walked in silence, Serge's head full of thoughts of Kid and what was going on. He didn't know what Schala was thinking, but he figured it had something to do with how to resolve what was going on.

Beside Serge, Schala's sleeping figure was silent, her body seeming to be at peace.

Serge climbed to his feet, trying to collect his thoughts. Shadows of the trees given off by the moonlight were cast upon the ground as he began to walk through the forest. His mind still reeled from the information Schala had told him. Serge was having a hard time getting his mind off of the image of Kid and the Frozen Flame binding into one another.

His footsteps fell softly upon the ground and soon the trees around him began to thin and he cleared the edge of the forest without his knowing about it. His eyes were on the ground, but he wasn't paying attention to where he was going. 

Soon his steps rang down upon sand and he began to hear the sound of waves in his ears. Serge came out of his trance to look around for a moment. He found himself standing at Opassa Beach. This fated place, where his adventure had all started. Serge somehow felt that he was meant to be here, but he didn't know why.

All at once he realized that he wasn't alone. The soft rumbling of the waves was the only thing that could be heard when a dark figure emerged from behind a nearby plant. 

Serge's hand tightened on his swallow, which he had brought along on his walk. The figure's hand tightened on his weapon, a sword glowing with purple and black energy.

Lynx stepped into the moonlight, his cat hairs and dark cape blowing gently in the soft wind from the sea.

"Opassa Beach," Lynx began. "This is where your adventure began Serge. Years ago, you were attacked on this beach and later almost drowned here. It holds a special meaning to you. Your first contact with the Schala-clone was near here."

Lynx took a step forward. Serge stood unmoving, his weapon held ready. He was confused at Lynx's appearance but somehow felt relieved by it. Serge couldn't explain what he was feeling, but he felt as though time stood still.

"The winds of fate are stirring, Serge. You are the cause of the trouble, you and your kind. The human race has been a plague upon the planet, an alien intruder that has developed too fast. It is now time to rid the planet of this cursed plague forever!" Lynx's head suddenly wavered for a second and his grip on the Masamune loosened.

"FATE shall be restored!" he wailed. "The arbiter will be destroyed! FATE will be reborn."

Lynx's body convulsed and he fell to one knee. His hand attached itself to the Masamune once more and this time did not let go. Half his body seemed limp, while the other half stood rigid and proud.

"Come Serge!" he cried. "Feel the revenge of millions years of suffering!"

Serge didn't know what was going on it. It seemed like Lynx had been battling within himself about something. But the moment was past and Lynx now regarded him with deadly eyes.

Quick as lightning, even as the waves washed up onto the shore, Lynx attacked. Sparks flew as swallow met Masamune. Lynx attacked with a surprising fury and Serge defended himself against the rain of blows that sought to destroy him. 

The Masamune sliced the air, its radiant energy glowing with rage. Serge's swallow defended each attack, the weapons recoiling with each hit.

The demihuman stopped his attack for a moment and stepped back. The two figures regarded each other closely for a moment. "Serge," Lynx began. "The planet…" he trailed for a second and his eyes wandered again. "FATE…" he shook his head, confused. "Come, Chrono Trigger! Your destiny awaits you!"

Lynx lunged once more at Serge, who was ready, a sudden energy swirling within him. The Masamune arced through the air and was deflected by Serge's swallow. Serge made his move, seeing an opening. He ducked inside and made his first offensive attack on Lynx, who wasn't prepared to defend the blow. 

Serge's swallow flashed through the air and tore through fabric on Lynx's right arm. A snarl emitted from the demihuman's mouth. Blood began to poor from the wound even as Serge lashed out with the other end of his swallow. The second half of his blade tour through the cloak covering Lynx's back and buried deep into the feline's body.

A scream echoed throughout the beach as the sand was stained with blood. Lynx fell to his knees and his hand slipped from the Masamune. The sword came to rest in the sand just as a wave washed over it.

"Serge," Lynx sputtered, his breath coming in heavy gasps. "Is this the end of FATE?" He fell backward, his body landing softly on the sand. "Serge," he spoke one last time. "It's hopeless…the goddess of fate has fallen. The planet will win…the dragons…"

A strong wind rushed in from the sea as Lynx's body went cold. Serge lowered his head and sank to his knees. His body seemed limp and his limbs wouldn't respond. The sound of the waves pounded in his head as a single source of light now drew his attention. 

Beside him, a green wisp had grown out of the ground and was floating upward. It began to spiral as more wisps emerged from the ground underneath. Serge stared, transfixed on what was happening. With all that was going on, he didn't know what was going on.

Eventually the points of light all converged to a spot and a figure started to materialize. Serge climbed to his feet once more and took a step backward, passing Lynx's unmoving body and the Masamune.

The figure grew in density until they were standing before Serge, who couldn't remove his eyes from the scene.

The person's back was to him, but Serge knew it was a man. The person was slightly hunched over, and the edges of his beard could be seen even from where Serge was standing. The man turned slowly and raised his head. Penetrating eyes that held vast knowledge looked at Serge and his mouth smiled. It wasn't an evil smile, but rather one of caring and understanding.

"Ho, ho, ho, my boy. Serge, didn't I tell you we would meet again, in one time stream or another?" Belthasar laughed gently, eyeing Serge intently.

Serge's mind went through a relaxing stage, having realized that this person was not an enemy. His hand slipped on his swallow and it fell to the ground, near the Masamune, which had lost its glowing energy.

"Time and fate are beginning to unravel Serge. The threads that hold them in a delicate balance are beginning to unwind," explained Belthasar. "Serge, 'Project Kid', the time project I planned out was a success, but nobody could've predicted what you would've done after the defeat of the Time Devourer in the Tesseract. It was believed that once Schala was rescued, she and her clone would become one again and the rift between the dimensions would be restored. Alas, it was not so. But from what I understand, you already knew that. Ho, ho, ho, I seem to be forgetting what time I'm in. Yes, you have already made contact with Schala. Ho,ho,ho."

Serge found it odd to hear the sound of pure laughter at a time like this. It rang in his ears, warming him.

"Serge, this dimension is becoming a battlefield that is becoming unstable. The Frozen Flame has chosen this place as its last stand against the planet. FATE had predetermined that this time would be where the final confrontation with the dragons would take place and hoped that its shell program would go unnoticed amid the turmoil. The planet has grown angry Serge. It is angry at the human race for causing all these problems and it is now trying to eliminate them. It is planning something. It is planning to draw the Dragon God entity of another era to this point in time. The problem with this is that this entity will not be a quasi-existence just so it can take shape. No. This Dragon God will be at full strength due to this very spot…"

Belthasar pointed at the ground beneath his feet. The green wisps were still swirling and dancing in the air.

"You see. This point, this place 'Where Angels Lose Their Way' is becoming a large dimensional distortion, but it is highly unstable. Due to the presence of the Frozen Flame and the anger of the planet in this time stream, this spot is starting to draw other dimensions to it, like a single point of super gravity. So if one wanted to travel here, all they would need to do would be to locate the area that this spot is drawing from in their dimension. This spot all started after Kid's world became slightly different than Schala's when they merged. The planet sensed the small rift here and was able to draw the highly advanced reptites to this time. This caused to a large tear in the fabric of the space/time continua. Like I said though, this point is fluctuating uncontrollably. Soon, another entity will pass through here that will cause such a rift in the fabric of time in this dimension that time will again be split in twain."

Even as Belthasar spoke to Serge, his form began to blur around the edges, shimmering slightly. 

"I don't have much time left. Soon, I will be thrown back to the time from whence I came. Serge…" the old man's eyes penetrated Serge's and they held each other's gazes for a moment. Belthasar then smiled. "Yes indeed, you two definitely have the same eyes."

Serge raised an eyebrow in question. It seemed like an odd comment at a time such as this.

"Your eyes look just like another teenage man I knew. Of course, you know him as the first Chrono Trigger. Indeed, his path and yours were both destined to unfold in the way they did. Fate is unforgiving in whom it chooses to be a Chrono Trigger."

"Serge, it is truly a sorrow to hear that even though your efforts were successful in freeing Schala, things still turned out this way. The Chrono Cross's melody was trapped in the Tesseract by a being that also dwelt there. The enmity of the alien being of Lavos sought to keep the Chrono Cross's song from echoing throughout all of time. For, if it had, none of this would've happened and your task would be accomplished. Don't lose hope however, you did free Schala. She was the reason Dr. Lucca and I coordinated the 'Project Kid' plan. Unfortunately, predictions beyond the use of the Chrono Cross could not be made until the second Chrono Trigger actually activated the ancient relic."

Belthasar's shape blurred further and Serge could see through him at some spots. The distortion of time that Belthasar was standing on was swirling like a vortex.

"Ho, ho, ho," the old man then laughed. "My, my. I do get lost in my ramblings. Serge, this has all been a long way of saying that I have come from beyond the darkness of time to give you something." He reached into his robes and produced a sphere with intricate lines running through it. The blue sphere glowed with a gentle light.

"Well, Serge. Looks as though my time here is all but up. This is the Dragon's Tear. It is the only thing I can give you in hopes that you will succeed." Belthasar extended his hand outward and his body began to flicker all the more. He now looked like a ghost, his robes shimmering in and out of existence.

Serge regained his footing and stumbled forward. His fingers closed around the glowing orb and its gentle light immediately went out. He looked down at it in dismay, wondering what had happened.

"Ho, ho, ho," the old man laughed gently. "Looks as though without a Dragon God entity to support it, the Dragon's Tear doesn't have much effect in this world. Fear not though. There will be a solution to your problem."

Serge looked once more as the lower half of Belthasar began to disappear. The old man sensed what was happening as well. "Serge…you are this planet's last hope to set things right. Across the dimensions you have traveled, only to end up here where it all began. Humanity's fate, the planet's fate, now lies with you, Chrono Trigger…" the words echoed through the air as the figure of the man disappeared entirely. 

Serge took a step back and peered down at the Dragon's Tear, which appeared lifeless in his hands. As he stood listening to the waves wash onto the shore, he heard footsteps approaching from behind him.

He turned and saw a face. For an instant his heart lifted as he thought that he was looking at Kid. 

"I heard what he told you Serge. Truly, the gurus of Zeal were very wise," Schala said, her voice trailing off with sadness. She walked towards him, stopping at his side to lay an arm on his shoulder.

Serge felt comforted, but not healed. His body felt refreshed and he no longer had trouble standing but his mind was still clinging to the words that Belthasar had spoken to him. Once more, the future of the human race was depending on him.

Schala lowered her hand and continued walking, stopping next to Lynx's body. To Serge's surprise, she began to cry. Tears wound their way down Schala's cheeks as she lowered to her knees. "I feel so sorry for him…" she sobbed, looking down at the feline's unmoving form. "He didn't choose to be this way. His mind was corrupted against his will…and he died by that corruption."

Serge walked and knelt by her side, his turn to comfort. Schala leaned her head to his shoulder, trying to compose herself. After she did so, she stood back up. "Serge, there is still something you need to do here…"

Knowing what she meant, Serge gathered himself and walked to the other side of Lynx's body, where the Masamune remained in the sand. Holding the Dragon Tear in his left hand, Serge leaned over and grasped the hilt of the spiritual blade with the other. 

His body recoiled. His mind felt as though an untold number of tiny needles were trying to pierce it. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the pain stopped and he heard voices around him.

"Aaaahhh. Mune, look, a new master!"

"Yeah, I see him. Hey Masa, do you feel like we've met him before?"

"Yeah, I do. He looks familiar."

"Hey! Show some respect, both of you!"

"Yikes! It's Doreen!"

"Show some manors in the presence of royalty!"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you blind? Princess Schala is right in front of you!"

"Whoa! It is Schala! What is she doing here?"

"While you two were messing around in your bad dreams, I caught some of what is going on. Schala is here to help our new master."

"Hey, if Schala is helping him, we'll do our best too. Come on Masa!"

"Let's go Mune!"

"May our powers help bring an end to this conflict…"

Serge's hand slipped on the weapon as it hovered into the air. The menacing outlook of the weapon was beginning to change. The purple and black energy that had surrounded it was gone and only the blade remained. Tiny energy beams began to converge on the weapon from all sides.

Serge raised his hand to his head to shield his eyes from the light. It enveloped the surrounding beach like a fire and just as quickly, was out again. He looked above him to see a new weapon, glowing with a white light.

"Yeah, Masa! I have a good feeling about this master!"

"Me too, Mune! He is going to set things right!"

"When Masa and Mune combine powers, nothing can stop them! For the dreams of Melchior and our new master!"

Serge's hand clasped the handle of the new weapon and stood with it and Dragon Tear in hand as the sun began to rise above the horizon of the sea behind him. Schala looked at his for a moment, and a smile formed.

"Serge…the fate of the world hangs in the balance. I know you can set things right…"


	7. A New Horror

Chapter 7

****

A New Horror

"This is just great!" Karsh yelled, kicking a board that was near his foot. "Argh! If I ever find the bastards who did this…I'll!"

The group had made their journey to Termina earlier in the day and were shocked to find it destroyed. Fires were still burning in the houses that surrounded the city. Some people lay dead in the streets. Buildings had been torn apart by some form of explosive. The boats in the port had been destroyed, not one vessel left floating. The flag of the Dragoons had been torn down and torched, its charred remains lying near the entrance to the city.

The group had not had a chance to do a full search for any survivors, most of them still trying to overcome their grief. Marcy had sat down and was now sobbing. Riddel was trying to remain in control her feelings, but she had tears trailing down her cheeks. Zoah was a quiet mass near the entrance. His helmet hid his feelings but his chest could be seen rising in deep breaths. Luccia was trying to discover how the city had been attacked, examining the places where the buildings had been destroyed. Guile was silent, leaning against a nearby pole, showing no emotion. Viper had taken a seat on a slab of rock and had his head in his hands. Radius was standing near Zoah, his head bowed and deep in thought. 

Karsh was trying to keep his grief in check by letting his anger get out of control. He yelled again and began to run up into the city. Before the group could do anything, he disappeared around a corner and they could hear his shouts echoing through the town, searching for any signs of survivors.

When it was apparent he wasn't going to be coming back right away and when their tears had began to run dry, they gathered around once more. 

"Vhat ist to be done now?" Luccia asked. She had returned from her search of some of the buildings in the vicinity. 

"For the time being. I feel it would be wise to assist Karsh in his search for survivors…We cannot continue further until we have found anyone who might still be alive. Perhaps they could even shed some light on who did this," Radius spoke gravely, his words resounding through the group.

"I think I know who did this," remarked Luccia. All eyes turned towards her. "The destructive work here was done with weapons that we do not possess. I can only conclude that the same beings that destroyed Arni Village also destroyed Termina. These lizard folk that have suddenly shown up."

"We still don't know where those things have come from, do we?" Viper had risen to his feet and was fingering the hilt of his sword. His eyes were staring at the charred remains of the flag of the Dragoons lying nearby.

"Sadly, no," Riddel whispered. "But they have destroyed what we have held close in the short time they have been here."

"I hate them all!" Marcy sobbed. "They're all a bunch of meanies! I hope they die! I hope they die, die, die…" she was cut off by a quick hand on her shoulder.

"Quiet…" Guild whispered to the group. They looked at him with puzzled looks on their faces. "Wait here," he warned them before hovering up the steps near the entrance.

They watched as he disappeared from sight around a corner to the left, making his way toward the port. The group waited with held breath, listening intently for any sounds to indicate what was going on.

As they strained their ears, they heard a voice ask in a loud tone, "What business have you here?" It was Guile and he had met someone.

Then they heard another voice, in an even louder tone answer. "Ahoy ye landlubber! We were passin' by the city and were wondering what happened to it!"

"You are not in league with the forces that were here earlier then?" Guile's reply became louder as the group started to move toward the port.

"I haven't the foggiest idea of what you are meanin', but I su'pose we aren't friends with em'," came the answer.

"I know that voice," Viper whispered. "If that isn't who I think it is, I'll remove my own hand."

They rounded the last corner and found that Guile was standing in front of about a dozen pirates, all with short swords in their hands. Their leader was out in front, his black outfit and cigar giving him a rough appearance.

The pirate leader noticed their approach and immediately singled out General Viper. "General Viper," he began.

"Captain Fargo…" the General replied.

"I never reckoned seein' your face here…" Fargo continued, his eyes narrowing. "Aye matey's," he yelled loudly. "Feast your eyes upon your captain giving this scurvy dog what he deserves." Fargo's men let out some yells and cheers behind him.

On instinct, Zoah stepped forward, his massive frame moving to protect Viper. 

Fargo looked at it with amusement in his eyes and a smile on his face. "Aye, Viper. Too shy to come and fight me?"

Viper stepped around Zoah while everyone else said nothing. A nervous silence filled the air as the General drew himself to his full height.

"Fargo…" he began slowly. "A duel with you would at last settle our differences but alas, I must decline the invitation for now. Call me a coward if you will. I have other matters that I need to attend to. If you look around, you will see a town destroyed, at the hands of an enemy I have not yet come to know. My sword shall not be drawn against anyone except them. My Manor lies in ruins and my subjects in this town are either killed or scattered. We must find them as soon as possible. And so here do I stand and swear that I, General Viper, request the assistance of the Captain Fargo and his crew, to aid us in this time of need. If you still wish to fight, our group will not deter, but rather, it would be an empty victory for either party and would only add to the enemy's advantage."

Fargo's face went from a smile to a serious expression. He eyed the General with steady eyes, searching him up and down. He then looked to each member of the group, who stood by quietly. Radius moved to stand beside Viper, his staff before him in both hands.

The pirates behind Fargo had lost their smiles and were now trying to figure out what their captain was thinking. Finally, Fargo turned and spoke to his crew. "Matey's!" he cried. "As of now there is to be no bickering among these two parties. Anchor ship and spread out! We are going to search every last inch of this city for survivors. We are now united against a common enemy! Understand?"

Shouting and yells followed from the pirates as people still on the ship began to drop anchor. 

Radius and Viper both let out sighs of relief. Their bodies had been standing on edge and now they relaxed, slumping a little.

Fargo strode over to where Viper was standing. "And you, ye landlubber. Our duel will have to wait for a more appropriate time!"

"Very well," Viper replied coolly. "When the time comes, I won't back down."

"That settles that for the time being then! What in the bloody moon happened here anyway?" Fargo had begun to look at the surrounding area.

"We are still investigating the matter ourselves," replied Radius. "Our first priority is to search for survivors. We can begin asking questions later…"

"Sounds good enough to me," Fargo grunted at a few pirates next to him and they spread out and began to search through the rubble.

Viper and Radius turned to face the rest of the group. Marcy had perked up at the new turn of events and it was obvious that everyone else had been on edge about the outcome of the two parties meeting. They were only now beginning to relax. Guile had returned to the group and was now standing behind Riddel, who was looking around in an odd manor. 

"Well," Radius began. "What little hope we have, we must draw upon. Let us search the city for…"

He was cut off by an abrupt shout coming from behind them. The yell was so loud that some of the pirates had drawn their weapons and were ready to face whatever army was charging at them. 

On the ramp going into the city, Karsh had appeared. He was waving at the people below him vigorously. "I found people over by the gravesite! Hurry up!" Without waiting to see any response, he turned on his heel and dashed back the way he had come. 

Radius would've finished his sentence, had anyone stayed around long enough to hear it. Reacting like lightning, the members of their small party raced through Termina as fast as they could. Behind them followed Fargo, who wanted to see what all the commotion was about.

Guile had once more taken the lead, his mysterious ability to hover allowing him to transverse steps at a greater pace. The group followed him as he led them around the last bend and the gravesite became visible.

Riddel let out a yelp of surprise when they saw the mass of people that were near the grave keeper's hut. Radius figured that at least fifty people were gathered. As they drew nearer, they could see Karsh, talking hurriedly to a tall, strong man and a shorter, white haired woman. 

Riddel easily recognized Karsh's parents, who ran the local blacksmith. Zappa's massive frame had a hammer thrown over one shoulder and he was listening to Karsh intently. Zippa was standing nearby, tending to some of the smaller children. 

When the group reached Karsh, he turned to tell them of what he had learned from talking to the survivors.

"Seems the attack was done by some sort of lizard men," he explained. "I'd guess they're probably like that bastard one in the manor. Anyway, guards were able to sound the alarm before the attack came. Zappa managed to gather as many people as he could and brought them down here. They hid in the tunnel beneath the connecting bridge to the city. Apparently the attackers didn't come down to the gravesite, so they were never found," Karsh couldn't help but smile to himself.

"It is indeed fortunate for such a large number to survive," Viper agreed. "How many of these attackers were there, and when did the attack take place?"

Karsh scratched his head for a second. "Uhh,"

"They raided the city about two hours ago," they heard a voice say. A figure had emerged from the crowd and moved to join them. He wore a shield on his one arm and carried a sword with the other. The scar on his face formed the shape of an x. 

Riddel ran to him and gave the man a hug. "Glenn," she sighed. "I'm so glad to see you safe."

"As am I to see you safe, Miss Riddel," Glenn replied. "Tis a shame to meet under such circumstances."

"Indeed it is," Radius spoke up. "We dare not idle however. There remains things to be done."

"I should say you got that right, matey!" Fargo laughed. "Don't get me wrong! It is good to see so many people unscathed, but I was hoping to see a little action before the day is done. I'd say we should hunt down the lubbers that did this and give them their just reward!"

"Which brings me back to my former question," Viper turned to Glenn once more. "How many of the attackers were there?"

Glenn returned his gaze for a second, then looked at the ground, thinking. 

"What's the matter Glenn?" Marcy chimed. "How many were there?"

"There were dozen of them, at the most…" he replied sadly. His head had lowered and he covered his eyes.

The reaction of the members of the group were very much the same. Surprise was etched in all their faces as they tried to imagine how twelve beings could've destroyed the whole town.

"Surely, you are mistaken? Luccia exclaimed. "That ist not possible!"

Karsh turned to Zappa. "Is this true?" he asked, angrily.

Zappa lowered his eyes as well before answering. "It be true," he murmured. 

"Twelve things did all of this?" Karsh cried. "How in the hell did that happen?"

"We don't know exactly," Glenn answered. "We didn't actually see them…"

"Huh?" Marcy questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Then like, how do you know how many there were?"

"We weren't in town at the time of the attack…I was down here at the gravesite when Zappa led the townspeople here. I was going to go investigate the matter, but Zappa prevented me from doing so. He said that we needed to protect the group of people here if any attack should come. A short time after the attack though, I went to investigate and found some wounded people. One of them was a guard who was beyond my ability to heal, but he did tell me of all that he had seen. He said that only twelve creatures had come through the city, but they had laid waste to everything. He told me they used weapons to the likes of which he had never seen…it was then that his life gave way…" Glenn told them of his findings.

"This is too much…" Riddel said. "What is going on around here? First the Manor, and now Termina?"

Glenn turned towards her. "What about he Manor?"

Viper stepped forward and put a hand on Glenn's shoulder. "Viper Manor has been destroyed, my boy."

Glenn's surprised look quickly turned to sadness. "How could this happen?"

"We are not sure ourselves. It nearly collapsed while we were still in it. All we know is that it had something to do with the Frozen Flame," Radius explained.

"Frozen Flame?" Glenn exclaimed. "You mean to say that the legendary treasure has been found?"

"Not found, but rather, appeared. It simply showed up in my office the other day. That seemed to be the start of all this madness," Viper told him. "Something happened to the Flame when it came into contact with a strange girl and it seemed to go crazy. It destroyed the Manor."

"This cannot be…" Glenn trailed off. "The Manor…destroyed?"

"It's true alright," Karsh muttered. "But mark my words, we'll get the bastards that did this." He turned to look at the group. "Isn't that right?" He looked at each one of them in turn, then stopped suddenly. "Hey," he asked. "Where's Guile?"

"Why!" Fargo gave out in surprise. "He was standin right beside me a second ago!"

They spotted him further up the path, leading back to the marketplace. Guile's white coat was hanging loosely as he had stooped to examine the ground. 

"Like, what are you doing?" Marcy yelled at him.

Guile didn't answer for a second, still peering downward. After a short while, he stood back up and turned towards them. They watched as he hovered back over to their location. "Karsh," he began. "You said none of the attackers came down to the gravesite, correct?"

Karsh scratched his head for a second, thinking. "Uh, yeah. That's what they told me." He looked at Guile closely. "Why?"

"I'm afraid they were mistaken," Guile answered. "The tracks along the path indicate otherwise. At least one of them came down here and I failed to find any tracks leading back out.

"So that means they left another way then?" Radius said. 

"Or that they are still here…" Guile replied.

The group had a sense of fear wash over them. Their brief moment of relief had passed and they all took to peering around in different directions. 

Karsh quickly turned to his parents and began talking to them quietly. They both nodded and moved back into the small crowd of people. Karsh turned back to the group. "I told them to gather the townspeople and move them outta here. If one of things is still around, they shouldn't be here. They're going to move back into the city and meet up with Fargo's crew." He turned toward the pirate captain, "if that's alright with you?"

Fargo gave a nod in reply and then reached down and drew his sword, which glimmered in the sunlight. "I say if thar be one of these things left standin', we should take care of it."

"Are you sure this thing didn't leave?" Riddel asked nervously. The staff that she carried was in her hands and she was trying to look in all directions. "I mean, where would it be if it didn't?"

"Fear not, Miss Riddel," Glenn answered. He drew the sword from the sheath at his side. "In the name of the Acacia Dragoons, we will protect you."

General Viper stepped forward as the crowd of people around them began to move back up the path towards Termina. "Riddel, you should go with them. It isn't safe down here…"

"No, I want to stay," she protested. "I can be of assistance." 

"We don't know if there is anything down here," Radius explained. "But I sense something in the air around us. I feel as if the animals have left in fear." He looked back and saw that the last of the people had entered the town again.

"Marcy, please escort Riddel and Luccia back to the harbor. We shall take care of whatever happens here," Viper ordered. 

Marcy hesitated before answering, thinking it over.

"Marcy, I'm not going to ask you again…" Viper said.

"But…" she stammered.

"I'm not going," Riddel stated. "We're all in this together. None of us shall leave…"

Marcy breathed a sigh of relief as Viper turned his attention towards Riddel. "This is not something to be taken lightly…" he began.

"Your right. But you act as if we should leave without regarding your safety as well," Riddel replied.

Viper stood for a moment, thinking of a response.

"Ho, ho!" Radius couldn't help but chuckle. "It seems we are in this together, since none of us is willing to leave."

"Very well," Viper sighed. "But you three," he said, indicating Riddel, Marcy, and Luccia. "Stay behind us at all times." He turned towards Zoah, who had remained silent throughout all of the events. "Zoah, please don't let them out of your sight…"

"I WON'T," he replied, his helmet showing no signs of the face hidden within.

"I must protest them staying here, but it seems it won't do any good to do so," Glenn said.

"Well, what in the hell are we waiting for then?" Fargo asked. "Let's find this thing if it's still here."

"How? We don't even know what the hell the bastard looks like…" Karsh told him.

"Silence! All of you!" Guile hissed.

They fell silent immediately, realizing that they had been talking loudly.

Guile had meanwhile approached the small hut that the grave keeper stayed in. For the first time, the group noticed that its door was swinging open. They moved forward slowly, following Guile as he wound his way around the side of the hut. All of them had their weapons ready, prepared for any attack that might come.

When he neared the porch, Guile stopped. Motioning for them to back up, as he listened intently for a second. Then, in a loud voice he spoke, "Whoever lies hidden behind the door. Show yourself."

The group felt a wave of fear pass over them as they heard a response. A hissing laughter arose from within the small house. The sound of it seemed to pierce their hearts, as it was full of hate and malice.

"Beyond this dimension, it shall come. And with it, it shall bring the end of the humans," the laughing voice proclaimed. The figure was still hidden inside the hut. 

"Show yourself," Guile repeated, although less firmly than the first time. He took a step back as he heard a footstep from within. 

"Show myself?" the voice asked. "Are you so eager to meet you doom?" With a final step, the figure appeared in the doorway.

The members of the party that had been present in Viper Manor recognized the creature to be like the one they had encountered earlier. Its green skin and sharp claws stood out as it ducked its frame beneath the doorway. The sword it carried in its hand glowed with a pale, blue light. 

It regarded them coldly, with a glint in its eye before speaking once more. "Do you wish to challenge me?" it hissed.

"We mean to put a stop to whatever it is you hope to achieve," Radius replied loudly.

The reptite formed a cruel smile. "None among you has the power to stop what it is we will achieve. It is hopeless to try…"

"We shall be the judges of that," Viper answered. "You have destroyed our town of Termina and you will pay dearly for it."

The creature threw back its head and laughed once more. "Is that so? I hope you will put up more of a fight than the earlier guards did…" With a snarl, it leaped off the porch with a quickness that took the group by surprise. Its blue sword sliced through the air, aimed at Guile's chest. His rod just raised in time to deflect the blow, but he was thrown off balance and stumbled backwards.

The reptite didn't press the attack on Guile any further. Instead, it pivoted on its leg and drove toward Karsh, who had only just begun to move. Karsh leaped to one side to avoid getting his head removed. The blue sword missed his neck, but sliced into his shoulder. Blood immediately began to pour from the wound as Karsh let out a yell and rolled to one side.

Radius and Viper both attacked the creature at once. Their weapons sought to connect with it while it was busy with Karsh. With inhuman speed it spun around and deflected both their attacks with its weapon. With its free hand, it clawed Viper across the leg and shoved him away. With Viper out of the way, the creature went turned its attention to Radius, who was recovering for another attack. His staff arced through the air and struck the creature's weapon. The weapons made a loud sound and Radius let out a cry as his staff shattered in his hand. 

The reptite made ready for a final attack to finish off Radius but was distracted from a shout from Marcy. "Cat's Cradle!" The girl began to form a ball of thread on her hand and then flung it at the creature, who regarded her with curiosity. It quickly recovered, however, and sliced the ball of thread in half with its blade. With the enemy's attention diverted, Radius used the time to duck out of the way and try to think of another plan of action.

Guile had meanwhile recovered from his initial surprise and was now conjuring up a spell. "Fireball!" he cried as he sent a ball of red, hot flame at the enemy. The creature, without even looking in his direction, raised its free hand and reflected the flame. Guile had to dive out of the way to avoid getting burned by his own spell.

"Blimey!" Fargo yelled. "No ordinary landlubber, this one!" He ran forward, his sword raised for an attack. The reptite turned towards him, then dashed forward suddenly. Fargo's eyes widened in surprise as he brought his arm down as fast as he could to deflect the blow that was aimed at him. The swords met and Fargo managed to avoid being pierced in the chest by the creature's weapon, but soon found that the lizard's momentum was greater than his. He let out a grunt as the air in his lungs left him and he was sent flying backwards. The creature had drove its shoulder into his chest, taking him clean off his feet.

Using the speed of its attack on Fargo, the creature swirled sideways and aimed for the last five people who were still on their feet. 

Glenn let out a shout and grabbed Riddel by the arm, pulling her sideways to avoid the coming attack. She had been busy concentrating on casting a healing spell on Karsh, who was still on the ground in agony. His shoulder wound was gushing with blood and the area around his body was red.

"Cure!" Riddel yelled, hurling the spell towards Karsh before she fell to the ground, off balance from Glenn's pull. 

The lizard creature was now aimed directly at Zoah, who stood like a statue as it dashed towards him. Noting that Marcy and Luccia were behind him, Zoah reached back and shoved them both to one side before the creature bore down upon him. Its sword slashed at him and he moved his arm to ward off the attack. The weapon pulsing with blue energy made contact with his gauntlet and he let out a yell from within his helmet as he felt the bone at his wrist breaking. The creature let out a hiss and motioned to attack again, but it didn't realize that Zoah had prepared an attack of his own. With his uninjured hand he lashed out and seized the creature on the shoulder. Heaving his arm upward, he threw the lizard backward, away from where he had pushed Marcy and Luccia. 

The reptite let out another hiss as it landed on the ground. It was back on its feet in an instant and it raised a clawed hand. A dark ball of energy appeared and it was shot at Zoah, who was too big to move out of the way fast enough. The energy lashed across his chest and Zoah felt his body go numb. He felt himself losing control of his arms and legs and he sagged to the ground, immobile.

They heard Luccia shout "Cure!" and Zoah could feel the bones realigning themselves in his wrist, but the numbness in his body didn't go away. He could do nothing more than lay on his back and listen to the sounds of the fighting.

Karsh had meanwhile recovered himself from the ground. The wound in his shoulder was now only a small cut, and he felt a new strength rise in him as he attacked the creature's back. It whirled on him and met his attack once more. Their weapons locked together, letting out a shower of sparks as they both sought to hit the other with their free hands. Karsh caught the creature's arm about the wrist as it made ready to claw him, but quick as lightning, it raised a foot and drove a knee into his stomach. Karsh let out another yell as his grip relaxed and he rolled backward from the force of the blow. His stomach convulsed as he tried to get air back into his lungs.

The reptite turned away from him and turned its attention once again to Guile, who was standing rigidly near the hut. His enemy watched as Guile clasped his hands together, making his staff disappear. He then made a throwing motion and the creature let out a cry as the staff emerged from its stomach. Angrily, it reached down with its free hand and yanked the weapon out and with advanced reflexes, launched the rod back at Guile. Since he was too close to the creature, Guile couldn't get out of the way in time and his own staff pierced his side. He let out a yell and toppled backwards, falling under the porch of the hut.

Their enemy then raised a hand and what looked like a healing spell washed over it, with the wound in its stomach sealing back up. Now angry, it formed another ball of black energy in its hand and sent it flying at Viper, who was back on his feet and wondering how he should attack. The energy hit him in his side as he sought to dive out of the way and Viper felt the same numbing sensation that Noah was encountering.

Ignoring Marcy and Luccia who had backed up the road in fear, the lizard turned and headed down toward the gravesite. Glenn and Riddel were the only two members of the group who were left standing with their weapons intact. Glenn placed himself squarely in front of Riddel and readied himself for the impending attack.

The reptite stopped before them for a second, gazing at them with its mouth forming a snarl. "Your time ends now!" it yelled and leaped at Glenn, who had his sword raised to defend the attack. Their weapons met and a shower of sparks emerged. The lizard whirled and attacked again, with Glenn raising his shield arm to deflect the blow. The creature snarled once more and threw a clawed hand toward Glenn's face. Glenn ducked the hand, but lost his balance in the process. The reptite brought its leg up in a swift motion and caught him in the shoulder, sending him sprawling to the ground. Glenn felt himself land in a shallow pool of water and he lay still for an instant, wondering what had just happened.

The creature strode to him and raised its weapon, ready to finish him off with a swift stoke.

"Photon Beam!" Riddel shouted from behind Glenn. He looked up as a white beam connected with the enemy's sword, which had been lowered to deflect the spell. The beam careened off the blue blade and sizzled into the water nearby. 

The reptite let out a snarl and leaped over Glenn, heading straight for Riddel, who had tried to prepare herself for the attack.

"No!" Glenn heard himself scream. "Riddel!"

He rolled to his stomach and raised himself to his knees. He looked up in time to see Riddel's rod break under the onslaught of the enemy. He heard voices behind him yell as well and Glenn thought time seemed to slow for a moment. He watched in horror as the creature's weapon drew back and then lashed forward, piercing the dazed Riddel in the chest. She let out a scream and sank to her knees as blood began to pour from the wound. She fell to the ground on her side as the lizard stood above her. Her eyes found Glenn's as he watched in horror and despair. Riddel looked at him for a moment more before her eyes closed and her body slumped.

The thought of what he just saw caused tears to come to Glenn's eyes as he lowered his head in grief. The creature turned to regard him now, a smile forming on its face.

Through his tears, Glenn focused his eyes for a second and he realized that he was kneeling beside a plate engraved into the ground. His vision cleared as he caught the names of the people the plaque was engraved for.

__

Grandmaster Dario

14th Acacia Dragoon.

Grandmaster Garai

13th Acacia Dragoon

Glenn felt his hair stir as a breeze suddenly blew in from the sea. Through his despair he felt a new strength stir within him. Dropping the sword in his hand, he climbed to his feet and put both hands on the hilt of the one protruding from the ground.

"Dario, my brother, and Garai, my father," he heard himself say. "Give me the strength to conquer our enemy and avenge the death of our beloved Riddel! May our unfinished dreams be made whole again!"

With all his strength he heaved upwards and pulled the legendary Dragoon Sword, Einlanzer, from the ground. The blade shone with a white light under the sun as he held it skyward. For a moment his vision blurred and he saw two figures above him. One was clad in golden armor, the other in white. They both looked at him for a moment and smiled before they faded away.

Glenn then looked at the lizard in front of him. It was standing a few feet away, wondering what he had been doing.

Feeling a surge of power within him, Glenn dashed forward. The creature stood and prepared to meet his attack. Wielding the Einlanzer with both hands, Glenn reached his target in a few strides and swung the glimmering sword through the air.

The creature's energy sword raised to meet his weapon. The two blades connected and there was a bright flash of light that exploded skyward and could be seen from within the town. Glenn heard the creature cry out as the light faded. Its weapon had burst asunder and the pieces were sprinkling to the ground at their feet.

Without waiting a moment more, Glenn whirled in a circle and attacked in a horizontal line with the Holy Dragoon Sword. The creature, still stunned, did nothing as the resonating Einlanzer sliced through its neck and removed its head from its shoulders.


	8. Reunion

Chapter 8

****

Reunion

Serge felt his footsteps fall upon the dirt path that he was traveling on. His ears could hear the serene sounds of falling water nearby. The sky above him was blue as he continued to walk on in silence. In his one hand, he was clutching the Dragon's Tear.

Schala was beside him. She walked silently, her body seeming to flow up the path they were on. Her purple robes trailed behind as her blond hair blew gently with the wind.

As they approached the top of the path, they came to a cave opening in the wall. Stopping for a moment, they peered at the entrance.

Schala looked at him for a moment. "Go on, Serge. I'll wait here."

Serge nodded, then passed through the entrance to the cave. Inside, he found the surroundings to be dark and damp. Knowing where he needed to go, he bore left onto another path. He passed by jagged outcroppings of rock as he heard bats fly around him.

Up ahead, he saw another rocky doorway, leading to a room carved into the wall. As Serge passed the threshold, he found the room lit by an eerie light that emitted from a single torch. Two pedestals stood within the small room. Before he had arrived, they were dark. When Serge had entered the room however, small shafts of light had risen from the pedestals, as though there were waiting for something.

Raising his hand, Serge peered at the Dragon's Tear closely. From deep within, he could make out a faint light that had begun to glow when he had entered the room. The soft blue light given off by the orb ran its way along the intricate patterns winding their way around the inside.

Serge stepped forward, towards the nearest pedestal. He raised the Dragon's Tear and placed in the small pillar of light. The orb left his hand and began to float as Serge took a step back. 

It twirled in the light for a second before falling downward. It landed on the pedestal, teetering for a second before rolling off and landing with a thud on the rocky floor.

Gazing at it for a second, Serge bent over and retrieved the relic. He looked at it again, wondering why it hadn't done anything. The Dragon's Tear still glowed faintly, teasing him with its mystery.

Serge turned and was about to exit the room, thinking that Schala would know what to do, but he was interrupted by something. 

As he stepped toward the doorway, he felt something. In an instant, the room began to tremble. Some rocks fell from the ceiling as Serge struggled to hold his footing. The trembling increased and he somehow felt as though his body was trying to tear in two. The shaking continued for a few moments more. In the second before it stopped, Serge felt, rather then saw, a shadow pass over the room before it flickered out of existence.

In his hand, the Dragon's Tear suddenly flared. Its light radiated throughout the cavern, reaching through the doorway to the room beyond. Attempting to look at it, Serge was forced to shield his eyes from the intense light. Blind, he heard a sound, like something had hit the floor.

The light in the room died as quickly as it had come and he blinked his eyes, trying to readjust them. At his feet, two crystals had been strewn. Serge realized that the Dragon's Tear had been torn asunder. Its two remaining halves lay on the ground, the Tear of Hate, and the Tear of Love.

Both crystals shown brightly, their soft blue light illuminating the room. Serge stooped over and picked both up. He turned and faced the pedestals again. Stepping forward once more, he placed each Tear in a pillar of light and stepped back. 

The two pieces flared from where they hovered and another burst of light filled the room. Serge once again had to shield his eyes from the light as he heard another sound ringing through the air. As the light died down again, he looked upward.

Floating between the two pillars an object had appeared. Serge knew what it was. He had used it before, in order to save Schala, who was still waiting for him outside.

  
Reaching a hand upward, he took the object carefully. Its blue exterior chilled his hand with a calm sensation. The gentle light it gave off seemed to bring peace to his very soul. 

After standing for a minute, just gazing at the object, Serge turned and exited the small room.

__

The Chrono Cross.

__

The lost 7th element, the unknown attribute. 

Serge walked from the cavern and into the daylight once more. Schala was waiting for him near the entrance. Even though Serge had emerged with the Chrono Cross, she wore a sad look on her face.

"Serge. It has come," she whispered. Her eyes looked into his, searching for something.

Serge was silent, nodding his head. He knew what she was referring to. He now realized why the Dragon's Tear had not worked at first. Even though FATE was eliminated, there were no Dragons in the world to make the Dragon's Tear effective. Serge figured that was the reason it had stopped glowing as soon as Belthasar had given to it him.

The rumbling he had felt inside the cavern was the force of the Dragon God from another world forcing itself into his.

"Time has been forced apart, Serge," said Schala. "I fear it is on the brink of collapse. This time stream is unstable, due to all the forces acting upon it. Lavos, the Frozen Flame, the Dragon God, the Planet…"

She looked up at the sky for a minute, scanning the horizon. "And in the middle of it all, us humans." She turned to Serge, "when will the planet forgive us? When will time and fate let us be at peace?"

Serge shook his head unknowingly. 

"Serge, we must act quickly. I can feel the Dragon God that is now in this world. It is summoning its followers to it. Soon, it will attack the Frozen Flame. If it wins, humans will perish. We must hurry to Viper Manor…"

They nodded to one another, then turned and headed down the path. Serge walked silently, as memories of Kid began to return to him. He hadn't thought about her since his visit to Opassa Beach. His mind strayed to images of her throughout their whole adventure. His last memory of her was when she had a look of pain on her face.

As they left the serene surroundings of the Divine Dragon Falls, Serge swore in his mind that he would do whatever it took to save Kid.

"I'm going back," Karsh said quietly. 

"Karsh, we don't know enough yet," Radius replied.

"That's exactly why I'm going back. To find out what the hell is going on. I'm sick of being in the dark," Karsh told the group.

"We understand the feelings you have inside of you. We all feel the same way," Viper said.

The group had recovered physically from their fight with the repite creature. Their emotional wounds still ran deep. They had silently, with tear filled eyes, constructed a grave for Miss Riddel. They buried her along side her love in life, Dario.

The wound the reptile had given her was too severe and she had died shortly after the battle. No amount of healing elements could bring her back. Karsh and Glenn were taking her death the hardest. Glenn still had the Einlanzer, placing it in the sheath at his side.

Silence ensued as they stayed at the gravesite for another hour. None of them said anything. Except for Fargo and Guile, each member was thinking of memories they had of the young woman. 

After they had ran out of tears to shed, the group reentered the city. Near the entrance, Karsh had told them they he was going to return to Viper Manor.

"Karsh, I don't think we should rush back to the Manor," Radius explained.

"The hell with it!" Karsh yelled. "You all saw what happened to…Riddel. You all felt the shaking that occurred not too long ago. Can anyone explain that to me?"

Viper and Radius bowed their heads. Neither said a word.

"You see? We're running blind. These damn lizards appear out of nowhere, the Frozen Flame tears down the Manor, and now there was a huge tremor and it felt like we got ripped apart!" Karsh exclaimed. "We don't know what the hell is going on, but now I intend to find out. I'm going to the Manor, alone if need be."

"Please, we need to think about this," Viper explained.

"I'm going with him," they turned as Glenn stepped forward. "I intend to find out what is happening as well."

"I'M GOING," Zoah said. He was standing near the entrance to the city. He had recovered from the numbing effects of the spell the lizard had cast on him and now stood erect. "TOO MUCH HAS HAPPENED."

"I like, am so going," Marcy said. She had recovered from the pain of Riddel's death sooner than the others and was almost back to her former self.

"I agree with these matey's plan of action," said Fargo. He hadn't been directly wounded by Riddel's death, but seeing the others pain caused him to feel bad in turn.

"I will go as well. Nothing more can be done here," Guile placed himself up against the wall near the entrance. His coat had a hole in it where his own staff had pierced his side.

"It looks as though we have no choice then," Radius observed. "We will either have to tag along or be left behind."

"So it seems," Viper confirmed. "Then let us go quickly, and get to the bottom of this matter."

"Excellent!" Fargo yelled. "I'll go tell my pirates to hold down the city for a little while. Shouldn't be any more threats though." He exited up the stairway and headed for the harbor.

"I tink I vill stay in the city as vell," Luccia told them. "I shall do what I can to help the people here."

"Let's go then," Karsh ordered, his emotions still running high. "Whoever doesn't leave with me can catch up later." He turned and passed under the entranceway and began down the path leading to the Manor.

"We must wait for Fargo to return," Radius yelled at him, but Karsh paid little heed. Radius turned and looked at Viper.

"His feelings are blinding his judgement," Viper said. "He is acting irrationally."

Glenn stepped forward. "I will go with him. I'll try to slow him down. Please set a fast pace so you can catch up with us." After the group nodded at him in agreement, Glenn quickly followed after Karsh, who was already near the forest edge.

The group watched the two figures disappear into the forest then turned back and waited for Fargo to return from the harbor. He came back quickly and told them that the city would not be left unprotected. He also brought back a weapon that Zappa had forged for Radius. It was a staff with intricate design work on it. Radius took it gratefully.

"He said if that one breaks, he'll quit forging weapons and turn to painting," explained Fargo.

Radius nodded and summoned the group to the entrance of Termina.

"Let us make haste on our journey. I do not know what lies ahead of us, but I feel that we are not out of danger yet. Everyone, please stay alert."

They nodded and set a pace down the path, seeking to catch up with Karsh and Glenn.

__

Please…I want to be free…I can help people…

No…I want to kill people instead…

Serge…Please help me…Serge…

Serge…I'm going to kill you…

I can help stop this, I know I can…

Nothing will stop this…I can destroy the planet!

Serge…Please…hurry…

"Serge, I feel a presence on the path ahead of us. Be careful," Schala cautioned. She and Serge had left Divine Dragon falls as quickly as possible and had already passed through Fossil Valley. They were now traveling through the forest that bordered upon Viper Manor.

Serge had been walking in a deep silence. He was trying to think of a plan of action once they reached the manor. So far all his attempts had failed, since he didn't really know what to expect. At Schala's warning however, he snapped out of his thoughts and was more cautious as they made their way deeper into the forest.

The trees around them stood in a foreboding manner. Even though Serge had passed through the forest many times on his travels, he had never noticed the trees to be like they were. Even the sounds of the environment had changed. Animals were now quiet and stayed hidden in their holes, fearful of a change in the atmosphere.

They continued along the path, nearing the edge of the forest when they heard voices in front of them. Carefully, the two crept onward. As they drew closer to the voices, they noticed that there were many of them and that they were having some sort of conversation. 

"I don't think going through the main entrance would really increase our chances of success…" a voice said.

"Well, any other ideas?" another asked. "That isn't exactly the Viper Manor I remember…besides, I didn't even see anyone at the entrance."

Serge recognized the voices. One belonged to Radius, the other to Karsh. Without listening to more, Serge walked forward, into a small clearing where the other group had taken shelter. Schala was close to follow, knowing who the people were as well.

The group turned to the two newcomers in surprise and some put a hand to their weapons. After a moment's pause of wonder and disbelief, some of them cried out.

"Serge!" Radius made no effort to hide the excitement in his voice. "How…?"

Serge looked around for a second without answering. In the small clearing he noticed Karsh, Zoah, Marcy, and General Viper of the old group. He also noticed the few that had entered it since he left. Guile stood near a tree, his figure held in poise. Glenn stood near the edge of the clearing, his face bowed in silence as though he was remembering something. Fargo stood near Radius and was eyeing Serge and Schala with great interest.

Serge couldn't help but notice that Luccia and Riddel were nowhere in sight.

"How…?" Radius repeated himself, at a loss for more than a few words at a time.

Schala stepped forward and all eyes turned toward her. In their faces it showed that they were thinking about something, as if they knew her before.

"There is little time left," she told them. "Forgive me, but I must be brief." She let out a little sigh. "Let me tell you of an blurred past, where all your stories intertwine…"

"I knew that I had recognized Serge," Karsh hesitated for a second. "But I couldn't put my finger on it. But if what you say is true, it would be starting to make sense…"

Schala had told the bewildered group of their former adventure, from Serge's traveling through dimensions, to his defeat of the Time Devourer with the help of the Chrono Cross. She told of what part all of them had played in it. She had just finished telling them of what was happening now, as far as Serge and she understood it. From their escape of Viper Manor, to where Serge had acquired the Chrono Cross once more.

"Blimey!" Fargo exclaimed. "Quite a tale!" Of the group, he seemed to be enjoying what was going on the most. "It got me blood boilin. To think, I helped save the planet!"

Radius had in turn, told Serge and Schala of their findings, and of the tragic death of Riddel. The group had gone silent when he told the story. In their faces it was easy to see the pain of the memory of their battle. Glenn, Karsh, and Viper seemed particularly stricken.

"So like, what do we do now?" Marcy asked after a silence that occurred when Radius finished his story. "We seem to be like, running blind."

"Not entirely blind," Radius answered. "We now know what most of the cause of the event is and of what is happening outside of Viper Manor right now."

Karsh took a step forward. "Speakin' of Viper Manor, can anyone tell me just what exactly happened to that place?"

At a strange look and a raised eyebrow from Serge, Radius explained what they had seen when they had returned to within eyesight of the manor. "It appears to have molded itself into a strange structure of some sort. It looks as though it is a giant, spiked object now."

"Lavos…" Schala exhaled a breath. Serge looked at her again. Her hair flowed down shoulders as she stood with a proud, but gentle, poise. Her face…Kid's face…looked weary, but alert and Serge couldn't help but notice the glint in her eye.

"Come again?" Viper said. His tired expression hid the proud warrior within. Instead, his shoulders were now slumped and he looked like a defeated man, one who has nothing left to gain or lose.

"Lavos, the ancient extraterrestrial that crashed into the planet millions of years ago. The Frozen Flame must have integrated the manor into a structure more to its liking…and to make a defiant stand against the planet," Schala looked northward, to where the manor stood. "Time is running short."

"Well, even though I'm still confused as hell about the whole thing, I don't think we should just stand around here…" Karsh hefted his axe into the air. "I'd say we go do something about this whole situation right now. If we did it once," he glanced at Schala and Serge, "then we can sure as hell do it again."

"I agree," Glenn spoke for the first time. The Einlanzer hung at his side as he took a step forward. "Things are growing worse by the moment. I cannot explain, but I feel as though something very big is about to happen. Please, for Riddel's…" he trailed off for a moment. "for her sake, let us end this nightmare now…"


	9. Gathering of Hope, Hate, and Fate

Chapter 9

****

Gathering of Hope, Hate and Fate

Serge walked forward, silent, lost in thought. He thought back to his former adventure and all the travels he had experienced with the group he was with. Yet, one of the missing members held his attention more than the others. Before, Kid would be walking along beside him, her head held high, fearless. Now he thought of how she wasn't here. Instead, she was imprisoned by an entity seeking to consume the very flow of time itself…

The rest of the group around him trudged long behind him. Some spoke to each other, but none ever raised their voices past a whisper.

The forest in which they walked grew darker as they progressed, as if they were walking toward nighttime. The trees around them became mutated, their limbs twisting into odd dimensions, all reaching towards the manor as though in anger.

Serge led the way as they group passed through the forest edge and stepped into a nightmare. Ahead of them, the building that was once Viper Manor stood upon the edge of a cliff. Its appearance had completely altered, twisting itself into a form that resembled Lavos.

Upon seeing it, Serge knew in his heart that it would be where everything ended. Set with a grim determination and the focussing on the thought of saving Kid, he walked onward, leading the group into a darker shadow.

They reached the entrance to the structure quickly, as it seemed to grow as they approached. The opening was a round hole, beckoning for Serge to come inside.

"It just doesn't seem like home anymore, does it?" Karsh looked around at his comrades, trying to lighten the mood.

A few members of the group responded with empty smiles. Each had already taken the liberty of drawing their weapons, so they would be prepared for anything that might happen.

Serge was about to press on, ready to face the unknown when Schala spun around suddenly, looking back toward the forest. The group eyed her curiously for a moment, wondering what she was doing, when she turned back to them.

"Go on, Serge!" she urged to him. "They are coming."

"What's going on?" General Viper asked. The group was peering at the edge of the forest, wondering what Schala had seen.

"The planet is beginning its attack on the alien entity of the planet," she answered. "The Dragon God is coming…"

"Dragon God!" Marcy yelled. "It's here already?"

"Along with its followers, the reptites of a different dimension's future," Schala told them. She turned back to Serge, "Serge, go on. We will join you as soon as we can. The future of this planet rests on you…"

Serge gazed at the group for a moment, rethinking all of their adventures in an instant. Then, with a quick nod he turned and ran through the entrance to the structure, passing into shadow.

Schala and the others watched him disappear into the darkness then turned around again. Looking back to the forest edge once more, some of them could begin to see shadows stirring in the foliage. Like wraiths from a bad dream, the shadows moved forward, their forms beginning to solidify into solid shapes.

From where they stood at the entrance of the structure, the group of humans could begin to hear a mocking laughter rising from depths of throats of the reptites. 

"The planet will be freed!" some voices cried out and like it was a command, shimmering blue swords were activated. They could be seen easily through the darkness that surrounded what was once Viper Manor and the group of humans began to feel fear creep into their hearts. A dozen swords could been seen, piercing through shadows like a beacon.

"Feel the pain of this planet's suffering!" another voice cried and the group sensed a giant shadow enter the air above them. 

Radius, through peering eyes, could make out the form of winged shape flying through the air. It twisted around and flew over the heads of the lizards that were gazing up at it. In response, they raised their swords, pointing into the sky. Then, the giant shadow turned toward the group at the entrance.

Marcy watched with an open mouth as the shadow came right at them, a white light starting to emanate from where she thought its mouth was. Flying low, the shape suddenly jerked upwards, flying over their heads it did a flip and, with an explosion that could be heard throughout the surrounding area, the Dragon God crashed through the exterior of Viper Manor.

With a cry, the reptites that had been watching the event started forward, heading towards the rattled humans that stood in their way.

The group was silent for a moment, trying to absorb what had just happened. Schala, having bowed her head at the sight, raised it again and looked towards the sky. She raised her hand and white light formed. Growing in strength, the light shot upward and pierced through the thick cloud covering that blotted out the sun. Light poured through the opening, even as it grew wider. Rays of light showered the group and they felt their hearts lift, as if the sunlight was cleansing them of sorrow.

Blue energy swords were held aloft as the reptites closed the gap toward the humans, who now stood ready.

"Dearest Riddel," Viper said, his sword held lightly in one hand. "May I one day see your face again…"

"Come Dario. Let us finish finish our dream together," Glenn held the Einlanzer before him and it began to resonate with a white light in response. 

"I say matey's, things are now getting' interestin'," Fargo laughed, a gesture which seemed odd to the lizards approaching them. 

Zoah and Marcy stood near each other. Zoah was silent, but Marcy was starting to laugh. "This is like, going to be so fun…"

Guile, with his staff hovering by his side, floated to beside Radius. Silent, he raised his hand. Radius returned the gesture and the two shook hands. "This adventure has proved interesting…" Guile said. "Indeed, but it is far from over," Radius replied, smiling for a second.

Schala was silent, her mind straying to other thoughts.

"C'mon everyone," Karsh hefted his axe. "What the hell are we waiting for? We have legs too, don't we?"

The group nodded in agreement and all at once, in a swift forward motion, as though a floodgate had been opened, they charged.

Schala raised her hand again and shot a white light forward, a ball that stopped a few feet in front of the reptites. They snarled as it exploded and showered the area in a blinding light. The humans were unaffected however, and felt a new surge of energy stir from deep within them.

"For humanity!" Karsh yelled, driving down on the creature nearest to him.

"Serge," Schala whispered. "Please hurry…"

Serge plunged through the doorway, into the unknown. His mind raced as he tried to think of what he had just done. In front of him, a stairway waited, urging him to move forward.

His footsteps echoed in the dark area. Scanning around, Serge couldn't see any walls, only pitch-blackness. He came to the foot of the stairway, which traveled straight upwards, out of his sight. He brought his foot forward and started to ascend.

__

Serge…please…I'm losing myself…

Please Serge…hurry…

Serge stopped for an instant as a single figure came to his mind. 

__

Kid.

An image came to Serge and he saw Kid's limp body being absorbed by the Frozen Flame. Without thinking, Serge dashed up the steps, no longer feeling any hesitation. She was calling to him, urging him to hurry onward. With a pace that seemed impossible, he took the steps without the slightest exertion from his body.

His footsteps no longer echoed as he progressed. The stairs climbed onward and Serge felt as though he should be reaching the top of the structure at some point. Glancing around quickly, he noticed that walls had appeared, but they seemed to be moving.

Serge was heading upward so fast that he didn't have time to stop when he saw that the stairway had ended. It didn't lead anywhere however, the stairway simply stopped. Serge teetered on the edge of the last step for a second, then lost his balance and fell, into what he thought to be darkness.

He was enveloped in nothingness. His body fell downward, twirling like a feather in the wind. Serge fell for what he thought was an eternity. Nothing happened as his body spun out of control. Trying to think of what to do next, Serge's mind went back to someone.

__

Kid. I have to save Kid…

Then, as if time had come to a halt, Serge felt his body stop falling. From what he could tell, he hadn't landed on anything. Nothing had stopped his fall, nor cushioned it. He simply stopped moving. 

Hesitantly, he moved his feet around. To his surprise, they found a surface. At first, he couldn't put any wait on his legs, then, as though someone had flicked on a switch, there was gravity and Serge felt himself standing upright.

He gazed around in the darkness, not knowing what to make of the event. He took a slow step to see if he could still walk. His foot found more of the unknown surface and Serge took a deep breath, then started forward. He walked for a short distance, then stopped hesitantly when he noticed something ahead of him.

From the darkness something had emerged and he had been slowly traveling towards it. Serge peered at the object for a moment before starting forward again. He increased his pace and quickly covered the distance to the object. It was a door, with a wooden frame and a basic doorknob. It hovered it the darkness, surrounded by nothing.

Figuring that he nothing else to go on, Serge grasped the handle and pushed the door open. Light came through and Serge stepped past the threshold. Inside, he found himself to be standing in General Viper's office, of the old Viper Manor. 


	10. The Chrono Trigger

Chapter 10

****

The Chrono Trigger

Everything was in the right place. The desk sat in the middle of the room, with various objects standing against the walls.

Serge, standing in the doorway, noticed three figures awaiting him in the room. He recognized them instantly. One wore an orange shirt with big, goofy glasses and purple hair. The next was wearing a white dress with a bow in her hair. The last figure's red, spiked hair was the first to be noticed, then his blue tunic. The three children smiled at Serge as he peered at them.

"Welcome. We've been waiting for you Serge," the girl with the purple hair spoke first.

"Serge, you've finally made it…" the girl in white said.

"The Chrono Trigger," whispered the boy in blue.

Serge walked forward.

"Serge, do you know why you are here?" the one girl asked. She indicated the room around her.

Serge shook his head.

"We are in Viper Manor because of you Serge," the girl in the white dress told him. "Your mind has created this room from the deep feelings inside of you. Outside that door, you were floating in a time that doesn't exist. You didn't know it, but you were floating in the Frozen Flame's defense against intruders. Inside this structure, this Apocalypse Tower, the Flame has surrounded itself in a blanket of non-existing time. This is to keep out unwanted intruders. Serge, had you been unsure of what your goal was, of what your heart wanted, you would've been lost in a state of frozen time forever. However, since your heart knew what your goal was, you were able to penetrate that fog of time and create this room."

"You see Serge, this room holds a special meaning to you, that is why your mind created it. This is the room where you lost Kid to the Frozen Flame…Your mind and heart realized this and led you here in hopes that you would find her again." The girl finished her explanation and Serge regarded her with a curious expression.

"Now Serge," the girl with the glasses spoke next. "Let me tell you of an event that happened years ago, yet still holds influence today." Serge turned toward her, silent, waiting for her explanation of the events.

"In the time of 1000 AD, after a group of time traveling teenagers defeated the extraterrestrial being Lavos in the future, two of them became married. One of them happened to be Princess Nadia, the other was the first Chrono Trigger. After they were wed, they became king and queen of the kingdom of Guardia. Under their rule, Guardia flourished and was at peace with all of its neighbors. This peace and calm continued for 5 years until an entity became jealous of the Chrono Trigger's place in the world."

"Even though it had been saved by these heroes, the planet began to once again resent them. It became angry at their rate of evolution and wanted revenge. From the future of another dimension, in which humans never evolved beyond apes due to their overshadowing by the reptites, the planet drew a being to this dimension. This being appeared in the year 1005 AD and its sole purpose was to bring about the destruction of the Chrono Trigger and cast Guardia into ruin."

"To do this, this being, this reptite, secretly broke its way into Guardia and stole the Masamune, the legendary sword forged by Melchior and a young man's dreams. Filled with the planet's rage, this figure used the Masamune to commit mass murders in the countryside. Villages were completely destroyed and people fell from their peaceful state of minds and began to know fear once more. With this fear came anger and the humans reverted back to their former selves."

"Eventually, the king and queen of Guardia were able to locate and confront the reptite, whose negative sentiments of the planet turned the Masamune evil. During the confrontation, Queen Nadia fell under the blade of the Masamune. The King and reptite then engaged in a fierce duel, with the king eventually emerging as the winner, despite his many wounds. His victory was an empty one however. Saddened by the death of his queen and by the murders that had been committed with the Masamune, the king took the evil blade away from the main continent of Zenan. Since he was the one who had helped the blade to be forged in the first place, his mind was able to withstand the negative energy of the Masamune. Eventually, wounded and tired, the king placed the unholy weapon inside a cave behind Divine Dragon Falls in the Sea of El Nido. It was there, where a wound from a being of a different future took its toll, the first Chrono Trigger passed away in the water of Divine Dragon Falls. His pure sentiments that remained transformed the area into a place of peace and tranquility for the years that would come."

"The kingdom of Guardia, now with neither king nor queen, began to whither away. Its prosperity left, allowing the nation of Porre to rise and grow powerful. Porre became the power of the continent, where its military state turned back to force to persuade people in their ways.

"The Masamune lingered behind however. With the negative sentiments from the reptite, the sword now bore the hate of the planet with it. From that point on, anyone who took hold of the blade would be overcome with evil thoughts from the planet. Its holder would want to murder humans, especially people the user knew and held dear."

The girl stopped her story and Serge held the Mastermune up in front of him. Its blade shimmered in the soft light of the room.

"Serge, you, the second Chrono Trigger, were able to liberate the Masamune from its enmity. It now carries your dreams with it and will be vital in the battle that is ahead of you…"

Serge lowered the Masamune and he suddenly thought of Lynx and his last encounter with the demi-human. The boy standing behind the desk, as if reading his mind, spoke up. "Lynx, the shell program of the FATE computer system, was transported to this time to try and restore FATE in the future. To do this, the shell thought it needed the power of the Masamune to destroy Kid. It made contact with the Frozen Flame, which allowed it to travel to a distorted area in time to gain access to the evil sword. However, as soon as Lynx took hold of the blade, his mind became unstable. Before, whenever Lynx had held the Masamune, FATE had been there to prevent Lynx's mind from being overcome. Now, with no FATE to guide the shell program, Lynx was corrupted by the Masamune and felt rage for the humans. This rage was amplified even more when he encountered reptites, beings from the future of another dimension, who turned the shell program to their cause. From that point on, if Lynx was holding the Masamune, his mind was bent on nothing but the destruction of humans, and not the restoration of FATE."

Serge's mind flashed back to Opassa Beach, his last encounter with Lynx. Serge had been able to tell something was wrong with Lynx but hadn't known what. Now that he thought about, Lynx's words and actions began to make sense.

"But, that was not truly the end of the Planet's revenge from its jealousy against the main three who had defeated Lavos," the girl continued. "On the fateful night of a terrible magnetic storm caused by Schala reaching out to the second Chrono Trigger from beyond the dimensions, the hidden 7th Dragon God was created. Harle soon made contact with Lynx, the incarnation of FATE. You see, FATE calculated that Lucca Ashtear would not have been able to release the Prometheus Lock on the Frozen Flame due to the fact that while she had incorporated the module into the system, in truth, it was Belthasar who designed the layout system for the circuit. The Dragons knew that it would've taken both Lucca and Belthasar to be able to release the lock on the Flame and that was out of the question, since Belthasar had constructed a time machine for himself and would've been impossible to track down."

"After some persuasion however, Harle was successful in getting Lynx to abduct Lucca from her orphanage and even planned it so that Kid would be present when it happened. It wasn't FATE who had disposed of Lucca after she failed to release the Lock, it was Harle, commencing a revenge plot from the planet that was planned out for over five years."

"Since Harle had taken special care to have the kidnapping take place in front of Kid's eyes, the Dragon's knew the Schala-clone would vow revenge. They had calculated that Kid would eventually draw Serge to the other dimension unknowingly and together they would bring about the destruction of FATE, thus releasing the Dragon Gods from their imprisonment. The Dragon's never wanted the Frozen Flame to be unlocked by Lucca, instead, they had kidnapped Lucca and killed her as an act of revenge and a way to get Kid angry at Lynx, whom she thought committed the murder."

"As for the planet itself," the girl in the white started. "It is now in its final plans to rid itself of all traces of alien life. The Dragon God entity it summoned here is currently making its way through the nonexistent time the Frozen Flame has enveloped itself in. Once it does, the final battle for the future of the planet will begin. You still play a role in it all Serge. You see, when you saved the planet and all of time from being devoured into nothingness, you also created the planet to resent humans even more. It is hard to believe that such a thing could happen, but the planet has grown jealous of the human race. Humans have evolved faster than its reptites ever could, and it now seeks to wipe out humans entirely."

"This same thing happened to the first Chrono Trigger. They are beings chosen by the planet to save it in its hour of need. In doing this, the Chrono Trigger shows that he has a pure heart and seeks only the wellbeing of others. This angers the planet, for even in the distant future, the reptites that it has raised are not perfect. Fearing the Chrono Trigger's influence will spread, the planet attempts to destroy them…Maybe this is the fate of all things…to be envied by another, only to be destroyed by that envy in the end…"

The girl in the glasses began to speak once more. "Serge, you have acquired the Chrono Cross once again. It didn't fully take effect in the Tesseract due to a destroyed Lavos that dwelt there. Lavos used all of its power to prevent the Chrono Cross's healing melody to escape the Tesseract, otherwise, things would've turned out differently…"

She paused for a second, adjusting her glasses. "Well, perhaps, and perhaps not. The Chrono Cross is an ancient relic of the planet, capable of binding the six different sounds the planet produces into one, healing sound. It was assumed that the Chrono Cross would be able to heal the enmity of the planet as well, but it is not so. No, the Chrono Cross, in being a part of the planet, lacks the power to fully heal its creator of enmity toward humans. This task can only be reserved for something else…"

"As for how you were able to gain the Chrono Cross without all the blessings of the Dragon Gods…" she went on. "As Belthasar told you before, this dimension is becoming highly unstable, even more so when the Dragon God passed into it. This time stream has already been torn apart once, when the Dragon God entered this dimension. However, the many forces acting on this time are so powerful that it is being stretched to the point of snapping apart. In this stretching however, certain things have become distorted. The cave where the Chrono Cross was formed was one of them. In it, time was twisted enough to allow you to be able to achieve the Chrono Cross with only the shattered remains of a single Dragon's Tear."

The boy with the red hair took a step forward, holding eye contact with Serge, who returned his gaze. "Serge," he said. "Now is the hour of doom. For which force, none can say. The planet and the aliens are in their final throws. The Dragon God is going to attack the Frozen Flame, which in turn is trying to create another Time Devourer. And in the middle of all of this, humans. You see, if either side wins, humanity is doomed. Serge, you have all the pieces necessary to set things right, but you must set things to your own choosing of what is right. Will you save the planet? Or will you save humans? The choice is up to you, Serge. You are the only one who has the power to show all life forms what the future of this time will be. We entreat you, Chrono Trigger! Do what you feel is right…for the future."

The walls of the room suddenly began to distort themselves. They whirled and rotated. A rumbling sound was heard and the secret doorway that Viper had in his office opened. Behind it, instead of the dark, dreary room that Serge was used to, he saw the top of a stairway. Around him, the three children began to fade. He watched them go, silent in the moment. Their bodies faded even further and the last image Serge had of them was their faces, smiling. He heard, or rather thought he heard, the voices remain in the air for a second more.

__

Please, Serge. For the future of everything. 

Then the three children were gone, nothing but a memory in his head. Gripping the Mastermune with a new resolve, Serge stepped toward the secret opening, heading for the stairway they lay beyond. His footsteps made no sound as he passed through the opening and peered down the steps.

The steps went straight downward, into darkness. Nothing was there to support them, they were simply floating in the air. Serge couldn't explain it, but he felt as though there was a presence waiting for him at the bottom of the stair, waiting for his arrival.

He felt free of fear and somehow strangely calm. With a single thought on his mind, he started down.

__

Kid, I'm coming to save you…

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

A flash of light erupted skyward as the Einlanzer met the reptile sword. Glenn heard a yell pierce the air and he dove forward. With another arc slicing downward, the Einlanzer pierced through the hide of the reptite creature. Green skin gave way and blood seeped through the large, open wound. The reptite cried out again and toppled backwards, the pain in its body too great to bear. 

Glenn heard another yell, this time human. He whirled at the sound and saw that a reptite creature had knocked Fargo's sword from his hand. In another instant, Fargo had been pierced through the shoulder, the blue blade of the reptile shimmering as Fargo let out a cry of pain.

Glenn started forward instantly, bearing down on the creature from behind. In an instant, the reptite threw Fargo from its grasp and turned to meet his charge. With inhuman speed, he sidestepped Glenn's attack and made ready with its own. Glenn's shield took the brunt of the blow and shattered. The creature was repelled for an instant only, but in that instant, Fargo had unsteadily regained his footing. With his good arm, he had reached into his jacket and pulled something from within. In a dive of pain and fury, he jumped onto the creature's back and stabbed into his shoulder with something.

The reptite let out a snarl and reached around, grabbing Fargo by his neck. Glenn winced as he heard a snapping sound. Fargo's body went limp. The reptite threw him aside to lay in the grass, unmoving. 

Filled with rage, Glenn glanced to his side to see another reptile moving towards him, preparing for its attack. At the same time, the reptile that Fargo had fought with was making its own advance. Glenn's new attacker swung its sword downward. The Einlanzer moved through the air to counter the blow. Another flash of light and the creature stumbled backward, stunned. In his fury, Glenn forgot about his previous attacker for a moment and dove forward, lashing out at the stricken reptile. His sword pierced through its chest and the creature let out a yell. Glenn took a step back, his anger still unchecked. His mistake in forgetting about the other lizard quickly showed through.

In the instant before it happened, Glenn saw his old attacker's sword slice towards his side. He was unable to move to counter it fast enough. His anger boiled even hotter as he realized the creature had him. There was nowhere to go.

The blue sword sliced downward, then swung wide. The creature stumbled forward, almost losing its balance. Fargo's poisonous dart had caused it to almost pass out entirely. Glenn, feeling a new energy, stepped into his attacker's path, swinging the Einlanzer with all his strength. The creature let out a gurgling sound as its body was clove in two.

Schala's arm raised and a purple haze formed ahead of her, in front of Guile from where he lay on the ground. The haze stayed then disappeared, staying just long enough to repel the creature's sword that had been meant to finish Guile off. 

He had come to rest on the ground from where he had been thrown by one of the lizards. Upon seeing that Marcy was in danger, Guile had rushed forward, driving into the creature's back that had threatened Marcy. His rush had thrown off the reptite's attack, but had also left Guile open for attack. In anger, the creature had tossed Guile sideways, causing him to land heavily on the ground.

After being deflected by Schala's shield, the reptile had taken a step back in wonder. In a flash, Guile was on his feet, his mask hiding the anger that was surging within. It was personal now.

He made a swinging motion with his staff and it disappeared into thin air. In another second, a dozen staffs had appeared around the lizard, only then to be turned into long, glimmering swords. The creature made a sweeping blow with its own sword and cut three of the hovering ones in half. The remaining blades then lanced inward, piercing the body of the reptite from all sides. It toppled over with a loud scream as Guile's staff materialized in his hand.

As Guile lurched off to aid in the other battles that were happening, Schala looked around, feeling something.

Radius and Viper were fighting back to back, fending off the blows of two different reptites at once.

Karsh had been isolated in his fighting for a moment. In his rage at the beginning, he had struck down two reptites while they were still blinded from Schala's ball of light. Guile was moving to help Karsh as two more lizards approached him.

Zoah and Marcy had taken a stand near each other, engaging in two more reptiles, which were circling the two.

Glenn and Fargo had been isolated further up the line, being attacked by three lizards at once.

Schala felt another feeling stir within her. _Serge, he needs help_. Looking around a moment more, Schala turned toward the structure behind her. 

With a gentle voice that carried throughout the whole battlefield, Schala whispered into the wind, "Stay strong, all of you. I'm going to help Serge…"

The humans left fighting heard her inside their heads and silently nodded to themselves. They understood, it needed to be done.

Schala flowed, rather than ran, into the entrance of the building and disappeared into the shadows that swallowed everything beyond.


	11. The Fated Hour

Chapter 11

****

The Fated Hour

Serge reached the bottom of the stairs and found himself standing in a small, canyon like hallway. The walls were formed of rock, with a narrow, winding passage leading ahead. Serge moved onward, his mind ready for what lay beyond.

As he walked, he heard an echo pass through the air around him. A heartbeat. It pounded in Serge's ears as he progressed forward. He was sure it wasn't his own, it was too loud and still growing in intensity. Serge walked a few more steps and saw an opening appear around the corner in front of him.

With the heartbeat pounding in his head, he passed through, walking into the core of Apocalypse Tower.

A room opened up to him. Its walls were lined with what seemed to be living tissue that pulsed with a regulated beat. The ceiling stretched upwards, tentacle-like appendages dangling from the top. No other door or opening was to be seen in the room, it was the terminus of the structure.

Serge's eyes stared. Ahead of him, an object hovered, floating in the middle of the room. 

The Frozen Flame stared back at Serge. It was larger now, with legs starting to grow from its body. In a crystal near the top of the Flame, Serge saw Kid. Her body had changed as well. Red crystal was growing on her arms and legs, coiling its way up her body. Her head was the only part of her that was unaltered, but even then the crystal was working its way up her neck. Both of her eyes were closed and she had a look of pain on her face.

Serge, unwavering, took a step forward. _Kid, I'm here_. Although determined, Serge found that he wasn't quite sure of what to do. 

The Frozen Flame acted first. In front of it, a single point of red light formed. It grew in intensity for a second, then careened forward, heading at Serge. Acting instinctively, he dove to one side as the beam of energy sizzled overhead. In an instant, he was back on his feet, ready for another attack if one should come.

__

Red

It didn't. Instead, a new sound was heard throughout the room. An explosion of noise erupted in Serge's head and he sensed a new entity emerge. Debris tumbled around him as he covered his eyes and stumbled backward. A roar went up, echoing throughout the room endlessly.

__

Dost thou seek to end the suffering of the planet?

Or dost thou seek to prolong the suffering of the planet?

Serge raised his head and saw a massive form hovering in the room. With its long, spiked tail, two large wings, and massive head, the Dragon God brought a new sense of power to the room. In its mouth, the ball of shimmering light protruded forward.

The Frozen Flame still hovered in the middle, staring coldly at the newcomer. 

__

Thine time of dwelling upon the earth is up. The planet's suffering shall end. 

With a new roar, the Dragon God turned to the Frozen Flame and attacked. Another flash of red light appeared in front of the Frozen Flame and Serge saw nothing more than a blinding flash of light. 

__

Red

After the light cleared, he could see the Dragon God, hovering in the room once more, with the Frozen Flame still intact. In another instant, the Dragon's God's attention turned to Serge.

It looked at him for a second, then let out another roar. Barreling forward, it strove to ram him up against the wall. Serge dove to one side, recovering instantly to raise his hand. A jagged blue crystal of ice formed and shot at the entity in front of Serge. It lanced into the Dragon's side, only to shatter at impact.

__

Blue

The Dragon had recovered as well and countered with its own element. Serge leapt backwards to avoid the rock outcropping that had suddenly burst from the floor from where he had just been standing.

__

Yellow

The Frozen Flame didn't remain idle. It formed another red light, gathering another burst of energy, then hurled it at the Dragon God. The light crashed into the massive creature's side, causing it to waver slightly. 

__

Red

It roared again and beam of white light appeared from its mouth. The beam shot outward, driving into the Frozen Flame, which had only just created a blur of red in front of itself. 

__

White

Serge's head spun with what was going on as he heard each chime of the planet's elements ring inside his ears. He felt the Chrono Cross at his side, it's cool blue exterior starting to glow with a gentle light. Seeing an opening, he ran forward. Holding the Mastermune with both hands, he attacked the exposed side of the Dragon God. 

The legendary weapon penetrated the hard skin of the entity and a blue liquid poured out. In rage, the Dragon God whirled in a half circle, too fast for Serge to get out of the way. The tail of the Dragon slammed his into body and he was thrown backwards. Serge's head spun as he crashed into the wall. 

Through his blurry eyes, he could make out the Frozen Flame, gathering energy for the same attack. Only this time, the red light was focussing on Serge. The light shot forward, aiming directly at him. Still too dizzy to move, Serge brought up his weapon as a last, hopeless means of defense. The energy beam crashed into the Mastermune and Serge felt a tremendous force press up against his arms. 

To his surprise, the Mastermune was actually shielding the blow. Serge strained with all his might, fighting the force of the beam that was trying to bear down on him. Even though it felt like an eternity, the beam sizzled out after a few seconds and Serge struggled to his feet. 

__

Red

Looking at his weapon, Serge noticed that it was now shimmering with a red and white light at the same time. He figured that it must have absorbed some of the beam that the Frozen Flame had attacked him with, allowing him to ward off the blow.

The Dragon God now moved again, and a lightning bolt appeared near the ceiling of the room. Electricity sizzled in the air as the bolt zapped downwards. Serge strove to get out of the way of the bolt, diving to one side. It crashed into the ground near him, sending waves of electricity pulsing through the floor. Serge tensed as he felt his body stiffen under the force of spell. His arms and legs went limp and he had no control over them.

__

Yellow

Through bleary eyes he gazed at the form of Kid perched atop of the Frozen Flame. Her eyes were closed and he thought she almost looked peaceful now. _Kid, I'm going to save you_…

He struggled to move, only to find that he was completely immobile. Near him, the Dragon God hovered menacingly, looking to finish him off.

Serge would've died were it not for another flash of light from the Frozen Flame, which again attacked the Dragon God. The red light lanced across its body once more.

__

Red

The Planet's Rage let out a roar and the spell it had been aiming at Serge flew wide. The ball of green energy seared into the wall above Serge's head, leaving a gaping hole.

__

Green

In the confusion of the two attacks, Serge heard another voice inside of his head.

__

Serge, don't go yet…

He thought of Schala. Her voice seemed to sooth him but there was still little he could do. Then, as if appearing from a dream, she was in front of him, her purple flowing robes flowing as she raised her hand.

Blue energy enveloped Serge and he felt his pains leave him. His arms and legs came under his control again and he jumped to his feet. 

__

Blue

Holding the now pulsing Mastermune, he looked around. The Dragon God was puzzled and surprised by the arrival of another human being. The Frozen Flame hovered for a moment, then sent out a flash of light, as if yelling in happiness.

Schala took a position near Serge, looking at the two entities taking up her vision.

Enacting a strange maneuver, the Frozen Flame started backwards, heading towards a wall. There is let out another little flash of light and went still.

The Dragon God noticed this too and turned its full attention to Serge and Schala. In an instant, he flew forward, jaws opening wide.

Serge's body acted faster than his mind did. With his free hand, he pushed Schala away from him. Using the momentum of the force of his own push, he dove to the other side as the Dragon God crashed into the wall separating them. 

There was a rumbling sound and Dragon turned from where it had hit the wall.

Serge was on his feet, ready for another attack, but Schala was not. Even though it had saved her life, Serge's push had knocked Schala out of control for a second. The Dragon God attacked her with its tail, seeking to break her body under the force of the blow.

Schala saw it coming and raised her arm. A purple mist appeared and the Dragon's tail slammed into it. The force of the attack threw Schala backwards, near the center of the room. She was on her feet in an instant, but wavered as if dizzy.

Still using its momentum from the half turn, the creature swung its tail around even more, looking to catch Serge off guard with the attack. Serge was ready however and held his weapon out in front of him. With a blinding slash, he attacked the tail as it neared him. 

Mastermune met skin and cleaved through. Part of the Dragon's tail was sliced off and toppled to the floor.

In pain and fury, the Dragon God continued its spin even further, bringing its wing around with unmatched speed. Serge was still in the throws of his own attack and could not move fast enough to counter this new one. A wing slammed into his body, a spike driving into his side.

Serge felt dizziness as his body was flung sideways. In a distant place, he heard Schala scream. His eyes trailed downward. From what he could see, his side had been wedged open. Blood poured from the wound, staining his clothes. Feeling a strange sense of calmness, he looked up. Near the center of the room, the Dragon God was bearing down on Schala. Through blurry vision, he could also make out the form of the Frozen Flame against the far wall, hovering silently. On top of it, he could make out a crystal figure…

__

Kid…

Serge closed his eyes. _Kid, I'm so sorry_…

Serge was just about ready to pass out when he heard something in the back of his mind.

"Hey Masa, do you see this?"

"Yeah Mune, I do."

"There is a lot of extra energy channeling through here right now, Masa."

"Yes, there is. Do you think we could harness some of it?"

"I think so, but we'll need some help. Where's Doreen?"

"I'm right here."

"Do you know what we're going to do?"

"Yeah, I heard. That's very noble of the two of you. It's only taken a few thousand years, but you are finally showing some maturity."

"Are you two ready yet?"

"Yep."

"Okay, here we go…"

Through closed eyes, Serge felt a burning sensation in the hand that still gripped the Mastermune gently. It seeped its way up his arm, slowly at first, but then starting to spread quicker. It traveled throughout his whole body and Serge felt his dizziness pass him. The hidden energy burned hotter around his wound as it began to seal itself back up.

Feeling a hidden energy that had suddenly awakened in him, Serge was on his feet in an instant. He looked forward and saw Schala whisper something and raise her arms.

A black vortex appeared above her head, a swirling mass of energy. It grew bigger as it traveled toward the Dragon God. The creature hovered backwards for a moment, not sure of what to make of this dark spell.

Even as the element continued ahead, Schala crumpled to the floor, exhausted from the energy she had expended. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Serge realized that Schala was furious and she had used her anger to the last in order to conjure such a dark spell.

Serge watched as the black vortex stopped moving and radiated for a moment. From deep within its chasm of darkness, beams shot outward. They were so black that they seemed to absorb even the light of the room. They crashed into the Planet's Rage, smashing into the shield it had prepared for itself. Slowly, the Dragon's shield shrank as more and more energy rays careened into it. The shield disappeared entirely when the last beam hit it. The whirling vortex withered away as well and Serge saw that the Dragon God was stunned.

__

Black

Knowing this was his last chance, Serge dashed forward. With a speed that surprised him, his legs swiftly carried him the distance to the god-like entity. It had shaken off its dizziness, but it was too late. Mastermune held ready, Serge jumped. In a blinding flash, his weapon struck, aiming for the most vital spot of the Dragon God. The Mastermune pierced into the bubble of light protruding from the Dragon's throat. 

A scream of pain echoed through the room as Serge jumped aside, leaving his weapon lodged in his enemy. The Dragon God started spinning madly, trying to overcome the pain that had been inflicted to it.

Serge, not done with his attack, lifted his arms. Not entirely sure in his mind of what he was doing, a light formed at the end of them. Serge felt more energy flow through him as he gathered more power into the single point in front of him. The ball of light pulsed, growing rapidly. Then, like a floodgate being opened, it exploded outward. White light enveloped the room and all but Serge were blinded.

He could still see clearly. The explosion of energy whirled about the room then started to form into rays of light. They circled one another, flying around until they were all absorbed into one again. Then all it once, the single ray of light veered off towards its target. The Dragon God had stopped its spinning, trying now to see. The light beam flew into its open mouth, absorbing right into the Mastermune itself.

__

White

Another roar pierced the air, and the Planet's Rage hovered for a moment, then crumpled to the ground. Serge watched as it slowly began to fade, its body melting into nothing. In another moment, it was gone, the only item left to mark its burial being the Mastermune.

Serge headed forward and quickly took hold of his weapon again, then turned to help Schala. The scream that followed was too painful for him to hear.

The Frozen Flame, idle during the later part of the fight, had moved again. It now hovered over where Schala had crumpled on the ground. Serge's heart sank as he saw the crystal that was slowly enveloping Schala in its casing.

Atop the Frozen Flame, Kid's eyes had opened. Serge could see them clearly now. One was fully open and burned with a red flame it in. The other, only half open, was the calm, proud eye that Serge had been used to. He knew she was fighting, fighting with all the strength she had left to remain herself.

Schala's screamed resounded through the room again. Even as she was being absorbed, the Frozen Flame's legs started to grow once more and Serge noticed that it was beginning to resemble more and more something like the Time Devourer he had fought in the Tesseract. Only now it had two beings under its influence.

Even as he watched the event unfold, Serge heard a voice in the back of his mind…

__

Will you save the planet? Or will you save humans? 

__

Please Serge, for the future of everything…

Making his final decision, Serge dashed forward. Holding the Mastermune with one hand, he reached to his side with the other. His hand grasped an object and he lifted out of his pocket. Closing the final distance to the Flame, Serge raised the Mastermune high above his head, then swung it downward. The blade sliced into the casing of the Frozen Flame and became stuck. The Flame gave off a bright flash of light, but Serge ignored it. Instead, he brought the object in his other hand to bear.

Hoisting it above his head, Serge concentrated with his entire mind and body, then activated the Chrono Cross.


	12. For the Future

Chapter 12

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For the Future of Everything…

"Masa, what's he doing?"

"I'm not sure Mune. Where's Doreen?"

"Right here."

"So, what's he doing then?"

"I don't know. Wait…I think he's trying to…"  


"Nah. He couldn't be…could he?"

"I don't know Masa, it sure looks like it."

"But if he does do that, doesn't that mean he'll…?"

"I think he understands. He wants an end to this conflict…"

"C'mon you two. We have to help him…"

Serge floated. Incredible power flowed through him. He was channeling the energy of the Frozen Flame through himself. It still held a link to the entity known as Lavos.

The power was amplified through the Mastermune, which he had driven into the Frozen Flame before activating the Chrono Cross. His body still lingered where he had left it, standing in front of the Frozen Flame, Chrono Cross high above his head. It was just his spirit now, floating in the middle of the room, sensing the hatred around him.

A melody pounded in Serge's head, one that he was familiar with. The seven chimes echoed inside him continuously, never faltering. A sense of calmness washed over him.

Serge's spirit hovered above the Frozen Flame that was slowly morphing into a new Time Devourer. Seeing two crystals connected to the entity, Serge concentrated. Harnessing the power of the Chrono Cross in his mind, he raised a hand and lashed out.

Though not seeing or feeling it physically, Serge sensed an explosion of light in the room. His material body heard the shattering of casing. Shards of crystal sprinkled on the floor of the room. Two bodies began to float downward again, freed from their clear prisons.

Serge's mind noticed the one in particular as she descended through the air. Dressed in red garb, the crystal growing from her skin was beginning to evaporate.

Then Serge felt another sensation emitting from the girl. Hatred still burned in her, almost all of her mind succumbing to her enmity. With another flash of light, Serge harnessed the power of the Chrono Cross once more.

The woman let out a scream as he did so, her hatred so firm in her mind that it was hard for her to let go of it. It had become a part of her while she was imprisoned in the Frozen Flame. Her mind wasn't able to fully let her hate go…

The other woman, garbed in purple robes, landed gently upon the floor. Her feet were able to withstand her weight and her mind was freed of enmity. She quickly sought out Serge's body, still standing in front of the Frozen Flame, Chrono Cross high above his head.

The Frozen Flame, the start of new Time Devourer, began to whither. Its red casing melted into nothingness, destroyed by the healing power of the Chrono Cross. 

The woman in purple garbs reached Serge's body and put a hand on its shoulder. She drew back suddenly, realizing that a spirit no longer inhabited it. She turned slowly and found Serge floating above her head, his spirit a faded outline of his former self.

"Serge…It's over…" the woman spoke slowly.

Serge shook his head.

The woman looked at him sharply, trying to figure out what he meant. Her eyes widened slightly as Serge floated upwards.

"No, Serge…Please, you don't have to…" she began.

Serge felt his time grow short now. He was losing his connection to Lavos. He had to act quickly, there was still time. He floated forward, passing through the body of the woman in purple.

She turned with his passing and began to cry.

Serge stopped above the other woman and reached with a blurry hand towards her. His hand passed through her arm and he felt her pain, her suffering. He knew that her life force was ebbing. Along with her hatred, she was fading away as well. Serge sensed a feeling stir behind in the back of his mind and he resolved to carry it out. Acting quickly, he turned to the other woman once more.

A voice was in the back of his mind, telling him of a line that he knew had everything to do with him…' No, the Chrono Cross, in being a part of the planet, lacks the power to fully heal its creator of enmity toward humans. This task can only be reserved for something else…'

With a faded smile, he gave a reassuring wave. The woman could do nothing more than sob as he suddenly emitted a burst of light that seemed to pierce through the walls of the room and continue outward in all directions.

Seven chimes continued to flow through Serge's mind and his spirit dove downward, passing through his former body. He passed through the Chrono Cross and Mastermune once more and enveloped his soul into them.

The Chrono Cross gave off another flash of multicolored light, more intense than any it had ever given off before, as if the sun had exploded within the room. The Chrono Cross was enhanced with the spirit of Serge. His pure sentiments traveled with its melody, which sounded throughout the entire planet, delving into its core. There, at the center of the planet, the melody found a mass of darkness, the soul of the planet. Black with its hatred of humans, black for its wish to dispose of alien life forms forever.

The Chrono Cross's melody reached the blackness, diving into a hole that had formed from a single ray of light, Serge's spirit, the embodiment of his hopes and dreams for a better future. The melody punctured the outer core of the darkness and reached the interior, only to burst again with multicolored light. A sharp sound arose, as if the planet was trying to tear itself apart at its very core. Then blackness disintegrated, giving way to light. The planet's hatred died in an instant. The Chrono Cross's melody, carrying the hopes and dreams of the Chrono Trigger, dissolved its black core and allowed it to be free of enmity…

Away, back on the surface of the planet, a body by the name of Serge fell from where it had been standing in front of the Frozen Flame, which had disintegrated entirely. Even as a woman named Schala bent over the body and cried, the body of Serge went limp. A few feet away, the body of a girl named Kid also relaxed, as if falling into an eternal sleep. Then a low rumbling sound could be heard, sweeping over the planet's surface like a tidal wave. The structure where the last battle had taken place began to convulse and the remaining human within felt a warmth wash over her as light enveloped everything.

As the rumbling intensified, two points of light could be seen, floating away from the pillar of light that had emerged from the tower. One was pure white, the other bright red. The two lights found each other amongst the confusion on the surface of the planet and could be seen for those who were looking, floating toward the sky, which was flickering as if in confusion of night and day. As they passed out of sight, even as the time stream began to shudder, the two points of light found their destination, arriving where no physical thing could.

Zurvan…the Sea of Dreams… 

Karsh was untouchable in his rage. Anything that stood before him soon fell before his unstoppable onslaught. His anger was out of control. Not far from him, Zoah and Marcy lay dead, their battle ending when more lizards had emerged from the forest. Radius had fallen as well, his final act able to keep General Viper alive for awhile longer. Guile had taken up a position beside Viper after Radius fell, the two fighting as valiantly as possible against their overwhelming odds.

Even though Karsh slew anything that stood in his path, his fury left him open and defenseless to attacks from behind. Glenn had assumed the role of guarding Karsh's backside as he sought our more reptites to engage. 

Even as the four remaining humans fought with the last of their strength, they heard a rumble arise from the ground beneath them. All life forms felt it and paused for a second, wondering what was happening. Then those that were battling outside of Apocalypse Tower saw the structure contort, changing in color as it did so. Then, in a flash that shone throughout the entire sky, it burst into a pillar of light, reaching to the sky.

Weapons dropped to the ground as a melody suddenly sounded throughout the air, ringing throughout their very souls. Their anger subsided in a heartbeat and calmness washed over them. The four humans remaining on the battlefield felt a presence in the melody, as though there were an essence contained within the sound that they knew. They felt Serge in the air around them, felt him in the sound that echoed in their minds and they smiled…

It was over.

__

Serge, don't go yet Serge! There is so much I want to tell you! So much I would like to know!

But, I know there will be time for that…in another world maybe, when we no longer know each other…

Serge, you have inseminated the planet with your dreams…You freed the planet of its hatred for some of the life forms that dwell upon it. You chose to do so. This was not predestined. This was not calculated…you did it for all life forms that dwell here, Serge. Rather than leading your own life, you chose to make the ones of the people around you better…

What if all life forms were like that? Thinking of others before they thought of themselves? Would this world be a better place? A so called Utopia? Or would it be just another dream, dreamt by those already gone?

What if such a world is impossible? Is a world where everything is in harmony an impossibility? Or is it our destiny to simply hate, destroy, and devour?

No! That is not the case! Everyone is born with a sense of good in them! It is how other life forms act upon that individual that decides which way its feelings will sway.

Serge, you have shown this world a door…a door to a better future. No longer are there outside forces acting upon this world. No, it is now up to humans and the planet to decide how things will turn out…

Time will be united, the pressures acting upon this world have vanished. Everything will return to the way that it was, before all this began. Opassa Beach will return to normal. Arni Village and Termina will be restored, its inhabitants born anew.

The only thing that these restored life forms will miss will be the presence of a boy name Serge. But…if they concentrate, they will be able to feel him. They will be able to sense his life force with each wave of the ocean, in each gust of breeze and with each beat of their hearts.

Farewell Serge! You have shown us the door, now it is up to us humans, along with the planet, to walk through it.

Thank you for being 'you', Serge.

Thank you.

Serge looked around.

He was standing on a beach, gentle waves washing up onto the shore. It was calm.

He took a step forward, then realized he was in a dream. It no longer mattered to him, it was their dream.

Standing near the edge of the water, a woman stood. Her white dress flowed with the breeze blowing in from the sea. The woman's braided blonde hair draped down her back as she gazed out over the sea.

Serge took another step toward the woman, feeling a light in his heart. The woman began to turn slowly, facing him with her bright eyes.

  
He smiled. They were her eyes, the gentle eyes he remembered.

The woman smiled back and reached out her hand. Serge stepped forward and placed his hand in hers.

__

I've finally found you Serge. It's about bloody time…what took you so long?

He felt warmth and a light began to envelop the two of them. He closed his eyes and was happy. The two stood in the light, their dream surrounding them.

__

Fin


End file.
